Ciao! I’m Gabriele.
In early 2025, I left my little Italian town and headed to New York with one goal: to meet Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans and hear their stories.
I wanted to understand what being Italian meant to them. How their families had made their way across the ocean, what traditions they had kept alive, and how they stayed connected to a country that, for many, was thousands of miles away.
I was curious about something that had always been close to my heart:
What does it really mean to be Italian?
(Photo I took at Ellis Island.)
Growing up in Italy, you're surrounded by things that can easily become part of everyday life. The food, the traditions, the architecture, the history, the landscapes, and all those little details that make this country so special.
But during my time in the States, I got to see Italian culture from a different perspective.
I met people whose parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents had left Italy generations ago. People who grew up thousands of miles away but still carried a piece of Italy with them.
Through family traditions, recipes, stories, celebrations, and the values passed down from one generation to the next, their connection to Italy was still very much alive.
Just like my friend Fernando Scarpati, whom I interviewed. His restaurant carries a three-generation family culinary tradition.
His family story in America begins in 1955 when his grandfather, Ferdinando Scarpati, immigrated from the small Italian island of Ponza.
(A photo of Ferdinando who made me a delicious plate of pasta.)
But I also had the pleasure of meeting first-generation Italians, like Giovanni Bartocci. As you can see from the picture below, he too offered me some of his delicious dishes. Can't beat us Italians when it comes to hospitality!
His story? He moved to New York City at 28 after his uncle asked for help managing his now-known Italian restaurant: Via della Pace.
(Here's the one and only Giovanni Bartocci!)
And it was after interviewing close to 100 Italians that something really clicked for me:
Being Italian isn't just about where you're from. It's about the culture you carry.
Yet, I often felt that Italian culture is being represented through the same tired clichés. Random Italian words, stereotypes, cheap jokes, and superficial references that barely scratched the surface of what makes this beautiful culture special.
I thought there was room for something different. Something that actually did justice to our heritage.
That's why I started Italian Gang.
(My friend Flavio Cappelletti wearing one of the limited-edition hats I made for the brand when in NY.)
I wanted to create a brand that celebrates everything that makes Italian culture extraordinary.
Its history, its culture, its people, its places, and its countless contributions to the world. From the Roman Empire to legendary motorsport, from Renaissance masterpieces to the beauty of the Italian coastline.
A brand for anyone who carries Italian roots, no matter where in the world they call home.
Because whether you grew up in a little Italian town or thousands of miles away, your connection to Italy is something worth celebrating.
And what better way to do that than to wear it?
Benvenuto nella gang!
Gabriele, the founder.