The year was 1918 when Santo Giunta and his wife, Margherita, opened the first clothing store in the Little Italy section of the Bronx known as Belmont on East 187th Street. The merchandise was narrow and deep: boys' suits, men's hats, and heavy, tightly woven wool slacks in a calvert twill known as iceman pants. Back then, men wore hats,  little boys actually dressed for Easter and Christmas, and there was a good living to be made delivering ice to fifth floor walk-ups.

Little Angelo Borgese, pictured above with his Uncle Santo (circa 1923), worked in the store after school, weekends, holidays, and summers. You could say the clothing business was in his blood. On many a hot summer's afternoon, Angelo could be found on a train to Manhattan sent there by his Uncle to pick up a special for a customer. Back then, Manhattan was the center of the garment industry. Of course, Angelo always managed to sneak in a movie before the trip back to the Bronx.

After a brief career on Wall Street made short by the crash of 1929, Angelo returned to the security of the clothing business. He bought the store from his Aunt shortly after his Uncle Santo died. The Great Depression soon followed, and B & G Clothes slowly made the transition from boys' to men's clothing. Under Angelo's direction, B & G flourished throughout the forties, fifties, and sixties and became the first stop for many of the borough's notables and political figures. Angelo (known as Vinny by friends and customers) along with his younger brother Lew (pictured below), built a reputation for quality merchandise with a special attention to fit.

The year is 2009, and B & G Clothes is celebrating its 91st year in business at the same location. Now run by Angelo's son Vincent, B & G has outlived its competition and is now the oldest men's store in the Bronx. As Vincent put it, “We're one of the few true men's specialty stores in all of New York. We have an outstanding assortment of sizes in men's tailored clothing. However, most customers return for the service, excellent tailoring, and a few laughs. In this business, a sense of humor is as important as a sewing machine.”

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If you have questions, please e-mail us at bgclothes@msn.com.