(Photos starting clockwise from the top left) Olive Bread; Peter Madonia’s father, Peter, Sr., preparing a batch of dough; the retail area is stacked
with a huge assortment of breads; and Charlie LaLima preparing loaves of Olive Bread. Photos courtesy of Madonia Bakery
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 15-21, 2019 67
right there in Belmont.
Mario – just 38 -- was killed
in a car accident a few blocks
away from the bakery and his
brother Peter,
then a deputy
commissioner
for the New
York City fi re
depa r tment ,
made his fi rst
return to run
the business
founded by his
grandfather.
I came back
because somebody
had to do
it,” Peter told
The New York Times in an
interview. “But I was like,
I don’t know if this is what I
want to do with my life. This
was not my plan.”
Peter ran the bakery for
six years, starting every
morning at 6 a.m. It was a
grind, as proud as he was of
the family institution. He was
actually considering closing
shop. Then his fl our distributor
suggested partnering
with Charlie LaLima, a baker
from Brooklyn who had recently
retired at 49.
LaLima was born and
“bread” in Brooklyn and
started in the bakery business
as a teenager, working
after school where he honed
his craft and learning from
mentors who were old-world
masters.
He worked in and owned
several small and large bakeries
over the past 50 years
His arrival meant
Peter Madonia was
able to leave for public
service and philanthropic
work. He
was Chief of Staff
to Mayor Michael
Bloomberg from
2002-2006, when he
was responsible for
overseeing day-today
operations. He
spent 12 years as
the Chief Operating
Offi cer of the Rockefeller
Foundation
and helped that institution
celebrate
its Centennial in
2013.
He advised Mayor
Bill de Blasio during
his transition and
even advised him to
get rid of the pedestrian plazas
in Times Square, advice
that has not yet been heeded.
Now he serves as the Chairman
of the Bronx Little Italy
Business Improvement District.
This stretch of Arthur Avenue
thrives with small businesses,
like Enzo’s of Arthur
Avenue across the street.
Trees that weren’t even
planted when the bakery was
founded throw shade onto
the pavement on hot summer
days. Customers come from
Fordham University and
the Bronx Zoo, but they also
make the pilgrimage from
out of town.
When The New York
Times visited recently, Madonia
Bakery’s customers
also visited with three generations.
Joanne Labadia of
Bethel, Conn, was there on
one of her regular pilgrimages
to do some shopping
along Arthur Avenue.
First stop: Madonia Bakery.
“We always come here
fi rst,” said Ms. Labadia.
She made the trip with her
husband, who is originally
from the Bronx, their grown
daughter and two grandsons,
Dylan and Ciro, who chewed
happily on some freshly
baked bread.
“We called before
we came, and
they saved us some
of their special
pretzels,” Ms. Labadia
said.
Ah, the pretzels
– big and covered
in sea salt, they
were Charles’ idea
after he took a trip
to Germany not
too long ago. They
are only baked on
Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays and
tend to be snapped
up quickly.
“The Labadias
also went for the
famous black olive
bread, doughnuts,
cookies, pepper
friselle and breadsticks
— $50 worth
of merchandise,
which wouldn’t
last long once they
got home,” The Times said.
To mark the Centennial,
Peter Madonia introduced
a new specialty roasted garlic
fl ower bread conceived
by Jason LaLima and fi ttingly
named “Cent’Anni” –
a phrase common to anyone
who’s ever raised a class to
make a toast in Italy.
In addition, for the very
fi rst time, Madonia Bakery
will introduce online deliveries
in the coming months on
select specialty breads that
will be shipped nationwide,
providing fresh out-of-theoven
style delivery.
Those stone masons would
never have believed it.
fififififi d e p a tme nt fifififififi for
closing
owned
years
and now oversees all
the production and
product development
at Madonia Bakery.
Staff
Michael
He
Offifi Foundation
celebrate
in
Mayor
and
and
customers
on
fifi her
originally
grown
chewed
idea
Fridays
worth
flfl fifi Bakery
from Page 54