7th Avenue in Ybor City 1600 block, 1927

7th Avenue in Ybor City 1600 block, John Bright Shoe Store, Demmi-Napoli & Co., and S.H. Kress & Co. 3-10-25 Cent Store seen on left side. 1927. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, University of South Florida Tampa Library

7th Avenue in Ybor City 1600 block, Mama Rosa's Pizza, Ybor Supermarket, Revolve Clothing Exchange, US Customs 2020 © Chip Weiner

 Seen prominently in this photo, the Demmi-Napoli men’s store first appears on 7th Avenue in 1914, around the same time the S.H Kress building, also seen, was built. Owned by Dominico Demmi, Frank Napoli, and Joseph Traina, the business thrived as Ybor City grew. Manned by thousands of immigrants, the cigar industry brought prosperity to the region. In 1924, Traina, Napoli, and another man were arrested and held on conspiracy charges to harbor aliens. Dem­mi was released, and Traina was held on bond. The store continued operating until 1931, when it went bankrupt like many other businesses during the Great Depression.

A pizza parlor and small supermarket now occupy the storefront. The Kress Building, center right, housed the U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Port of Tampa office for years. In the early 202s, developer Darryl Shaw rehabbed the former Kress building, opening Kress Contemporary, studios for independent artists. The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts moved its location to the former S. P. Steed building next door in 2023.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol. 2