Inside Casa Amadeo – New York’s oldest record shop

A cornerstone of the Latin community in the Bronx since 1941.

Since 1969, Miguel “Mike” Amadeo has been at the helm, with records to sell and stories to tell. Stop by to browse and he might share how he held down the shop during the heat and uncertainty of the 1970s, when “the Bronx is burning” rang out on the TV. Or how he’s written over 300 songs for the titans of Latin music, including Celia Cruz and Charlie Palmieri. Underscoring each tale is the unshakable conviction that Mike loves his local community, and they love him too.

One of Mike’s favourite songs that he’s written is called ‘Que Me Lo Den En Vida’, which means ‘Give It To Me In Life’. And that’s what this film hopes to do: to help share Mike’s story and show appreciation for Casa Amadeo. It’s a place to talk about music, and a place to learn about life. It’s everything a record store should be.

Film by Brendan Gillen & Boomshot