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Little Italy's legacy is not just a tale of Italian restaurants and gift shops; it is a narrative steeped in history, resilience, and cultural identity. The area that now constitutes Little Italy was once known as Mulberry Bend, a neighborhood infamous for overcrowding, crime, and extreme poverty in the late 1800s. Despite the grim reality that awaited thousands of Italian immigrants—who had fled dire circumstances of poverty and political turmoil—this gritty locale provided an opportunity for a new beginning in America. The streets were littered with tenements housing large families in cramped quarters, yet from this adversity blossomed a rich cultural tapestry.