THE ADVANTAGE OF STRONG COMMUNITY TIES: Residents in the Bronx’s Little Italy rally for looted pizza owner.

Like many other small businesses during COVID-19, Joe’s Little Italy on East 187th St. has been working hard to stay afloat. However, after recently being looted last week, the Bronx community is rallying together to help the eatery “pick up the pizzas” with the hopes to help keep the business alive.

On June 1, everything changed when criminals smashed the glass and stole money from the pizzeria. Owner Chris Castelan, 50, lives above the store with his family and told the Bronx Times he heard the alarm at 1 a.m. and feared the worst.

“They destroyed everything,” he said. “I just can’t believe it. What’s most important is we are okay.” . . .

Castelan first migrated from Mexico 40 years ago and started working for Joe’s Pizza in Belmont when he first came to America.

After learning the craft of the business, he invested his entire life savings and purchased the pizzeria from the original owners. The new opening was tough however, since construction was delayed over nine months, forcing him to take on odd jobs until the reopening.

He had to sell his home and eventually rented an apartment above the shop to stay close by. When the shop finally reopened in November 2019, Castelan opted not to install metal gates on the storefront, since he wanted his customers to feel welcome to an open and neighborhood store that he was proud to have created.

He has a GoFundMe page. I donated.