Storage, 810-812 East 170th St., Bronx, NY, 2015  

This is the rear of 810-812 East 170th St., the Bronx, where one can read STORAGE and little else. In 1916, however, 812 E. 170th St., was listed as Santi G & Co Inc - Storage & Warehouse in the New York telephone directory. G. Santis & Co. (also sometimes spelled Santi, without an "s" on the end) first appears in directory lists in 1910 when they were located at 1252 Southern Boulevard, the Bronx. In 1916 810-812 East 170th St. was their main office, and branches were listed at 1310 Southern Boulevard and 1749 Boston Road. These branch locations changed from time to time, but 810-812 E. 170th remained G. Santi (or Santis) from 1916 through 1929. Then in 1930 a new incorporation, the Globe Fireproof Storage Warehouse Co., was listed along with G. Santi & Co. at this address. This remained the case until 1936 when the name Santi/Santis disappeared, and only Globe was listed.

Next, in 1954, Globe Storage relocated to 1360 Webster Avenue, and 810-812 E. 170th became the home of Highbridge Storage Warehouses Inc. Highbridge Storage was located here from 1954 to 1982.

In 2015 a sign in front located Midtown Moving and Storage at this address. Partially visible beneath the Midtown sign are the words Fireproof and Storage with Warehouse further down the wall. This is probably a sign for Globe Fireproof Storage Warehouse.

The founder of G. Santi & Co. was Giovanni (John) Santi (1878-?), an immigrant from Italy who registered for the World War I draft in 1918 as Giovanni Santi, age 40, born 19 Nov, 1878, Italy. By 1918 Giovanni Santi was no longer in control of his storage business, and he gave his employment as "Automobile Factory employee, J. G. Johnson & Co., 255th St., New York, Bronx, NY."

Polk's New York City Copartnership Directory, 1918-19, listed the officers at G. Santis & Co., 810 E. 170th St., as Jos Nesi, Pres; Louis Cella, V-Pres; and Katerina Nesi, Sec. Joseph Nesi (1884-1945?) registered for the World War II draft in 1942 when he was 58 years old, born 2 Feb. 1884, Solaro, Italy. In the same draft Louis Cella (1888-1973) was 53 years old, born 14 June 1888, Genoa, Italy. Polk 1933-34 listed Louis Cella and his wife, Eleanor Cella, as officers at both G. Santis & Co. and Globe Fireproof Storage Warehouse at 810 E. 170th St. Louis Cella's older brother, John Lawrence Cella (1885-1969) was also involved in the moving and storage business. He was, for instance, president of Santis Moving & Express Co. located at 542 E. 180th St., the Bronx, in 1916. It is not clear, however, how this Santis it related to the Santi/Santis at 810-812 E. 170th St. Very possibly they were the same company under two slightly different names. Louis Cella was also an officer at Santis Moving & Express Co.

Joseph Nesi and the Cellas were close relatives of Anthony Cuneo, whose storage warehouse at 1571 Southern Boulevard is the subject of the next page in this series.

Copyright © 2016 Walter Grutchfield