Since 1939
The Barbati family story.
From a horse-drawn wagon in Gravesend to a Brooklyn institution — nearly nine decades of the original Sicilian square.
From a horse-drawn wagon in Gravesend to a Brooklyn institution — nearly nine decades of the original Sicilian square.
For over 80 years, four generations of one family have served the same upside-down Sicilian square and homemade spumoni that made L&B a Brooklyn legend. This is how it began.
Ludovico Barbati emigrates from Torella Di Lombardi, Italy in 1917. In 1918 he marries Paolina Maugeri, and together they raise six children — Carmine, Rose, Anna, Mary, Salvatore and Ludovico Jr.
Under the mentorship of a skilled Brooklyn baker, Ludovico masters pizza-making in a West 8th Street garage. He buys a horse named Babe and a wagon, selling fresh Italian creations through the streets of Gravesend and Bensonhurst.
Ludovico purchases the property at 2725 86th Street — the first of three iconic buildings. It serves as both a production facility for spumoni and an early storefront for ices and spumoni. The Gardens are born.
As crowds grow, Ludovico builds a small shanty with tables and chairs, then adds a second building dedicated to the Sicilian pizza — an upside-down masterpiece of crispy crust, tangy sauce and molten cheese.
A third building rises, transforming the operation into a full-service dining destination with a luncheonette and an expanded dining room.
The fourth generation of the Barbati family carries on Ludovico’s vision of quality, flavor and community — at the original 86th Street location and the DUMBO waterfront at 46 Old Fulton Street.