In the heart of South Hackensack, N.J., lies a small, inconspicuous store by the name of Pompeii. The store’s quiet demeanor makes it easy to overlook, but it has served the town for more than four decades as a cultural center. Given South Hackensack’s small size, there are not many places where residents can meet and gossip about the day’s events. Pompeii has filled this role ever since it opened.
The store’s beginnings lie deep within Italian culture and its long history in South Hackensack. Originally named De’s when it started up in the 1950s, the name was changed to Pompeii in 1980 to more accurately reflect the town’s Italian heritage.
While the town barely reaches a mile in length and is often overshadowed by its bustling neighbor Hackensack, its old-world Italian culture has remained strong over the years. Pompeii has acted as a representation of this in a multitude of ways. Upon setting foot in the small deli, you can smell the Italian foods being cooked. The aroma catches your nose and transports you to Italy, no matter what your heritage. The deli provides everything from sandwiches, candy and liquor to imported Italian pastas, meats and sauces.
The atmosphere is always cheerful. Upon entering you can be guaranteed there is someone you know waiting just inside. As local resident Jonathan Burke puts it, “Every Wednesday after work I come in here, and I know my brother is going to be here also. It’s like I don’t even have to talk to him during the week because I know I will see him then.”
Pompeii’s outside look is low key, and it does not stand out to those unfamiliar with its location. The store lies quietly on a small street that looks no different from the others in the town. Its red brick facade can easily be mistaken for a residence, as the store sits on the corner tucked in between two houses. The only differentiating image on the outside of the store is the large picture of Italy, painted in white, green and red. Inside however, Italian memorabilia rings loud. Pictures of famous individuals, such as Tony Soprano and Marlon Brando in the role of The Godfather, hang on the wall. The counters are stocked with Italian foods, such as jars of olives. And behind the counter hangs a map of Italy and pictures of the store’s employees.
The store is always packed with customers or those just looking for a place to relax. Its three tables, which are tucked away between the candy and liquor sections, are always filled. It is this type of environment that has made Pompeii’s business thrive over the years. According to Tony Competiello, the store’s owner, what attracts so many people to Pompeii “is the level of comfort we provide. Everybody knows one another and has come here for as long as they have lived in the town. People like to go to places they feel comfortable in, and at Pompeii we provide that good atmosphere.”
But what Competiello has been able to provide even more is a place where social gatherings are welcome. Town gossip, important news events and sports talk can all be heard within the store’s small confines each and every day. Local resident Larry Julien comes to Pompeii not only to shop but to interact. “Pompeii plays an important role in the community because it’s a place people can come and talk about anything.” Being the big sports fan Larry is, he looks forward to speaking with the store’s regulars every Monday, the day after the Jets or Giants play football.
Longtime store employee Maria Dimico believes Pompeii acts as a “chatterbox” for local residents more than anything. “If you want to know the recent scoop on something or someone, just come to the store and sit around for awhile, and you will hear something. Especially in the morning when everybody is going to work, that is the busiest time. A lot of the elderly come in at that time as well, and they always talk gossip.” Since South Hackensack is home to a lot of elderly citizens, Pompeii is one of the few places, if not the only place, that serves as a social meeting place. “The elderly do make up a lot of my business,” says Competiello, who took over and bought Pompeii in 1988. “I see the same elderly people come in and out of the store about three or four times a day. They will come in the morning and buy the paper and some coffee, then in the afternoon to buy lunch and lottery tickets, and finally at night to check the lotto numbers.”
Fred Wolfshurndal, 72, has shopped at Pompeii for more than 30 years. The store is like a second home to him. “They make me feel at home there. I would never go to any other store because when I go there I know everybody, and they treat me with respect.” When asked why he chooses not to shop at the local ShopRite a couple minutes away, he adamantly replied, “because Pompeii is South Hackensack. I have gone there all my life.” It is this type of attitude that has made Pompeii the successful business it is. It may be small-town politics, but, thanks to individuals like Competiello, South Hackensack has a cultural center few neighborhoods can produce.
Even for those not of Italian heritage, Pompeii brings Italian culture into their lives. Joseph Turkalj, 21, says that the store makes him feel Italian, even if it is only for the time when he is in the store or eating one of their products: “Since this town is mostly Italian, Pompeii brings that feeling, even if I am Croatian myself.”
Besides its cultural influence, Pompeii has acted as a community leader as well. The store’s owner helped set up a local soccer league for the town’s children, something that has been lacking for years. While South Hackensack has always been a tight-knit community, programs like the one Competiello helped start were in desperate need because the town has provided hardly any type of entertainment or activity for its youth. Now the town’s soccer league has expanded to neighboring towns such as Little Ferry and is growing in numbers every year. Pompeii also serves the town’s only school, which educates elementary and middle-school students. Every year Pompeii provides goods, services and donations to the school, especially for the graduating eighth-grade class.
Pompeii is much more than a store to most residents of South Hackensack. Without it the town would lose a cultural icon and a place of warmth, coziness and comfort. Pompeii is a deli rich in Italian culture and in people. Individuals look forward to entering the store’s energetic atmosphere and spending part of their day interacting with fellow customers and employees. In South Hackensack, a town that is often overlooked with not much to cheer about, Pompeii has managed to stand tall and act as a leader for the community in more ways than one.
William Heinzelman is a Rutgers-Newark student.
