The Little Sisters of the Poor and N. Ambrogi’s Fancy Fruit Store circa 1934

as told by Richard Ambrogi

Some time ago, when we were planning the 100th Anniversary of our Chester Avenue location, Don Carter, our Plant Operations & Maintenance Director, suggested we contact Richard Ambrogi who worked as a service rep for a fuel oil company used by the Home.

Here is Richard’s story:

Dear Sisters,

Here I go again telling the story of the Little Sisters of the Poor, as they were called at that time.

My grandmother Rose Ambrogi had three boys — Eugene, Walter and my father Joseph. All three brothers worked for my grandmother at the N. Ambrogi Fruit Store which was located on 15th Street between Market Street and Chestnut Street.

Our family lived in Upper Darby. I would go to work with my father on many Saturdays. Every Saturday a large black truck would park at the curb of the store and two sisters in their black clothing and hat would come into the store. One, I will never forget , carried a very large pail, and the Ambrogi men would fill the pail, sometimes two pails, with Ambrogi’s fancy fruit which was a little discolored but still very good. I will never forget how thankful the sisters were. They would always say that they all pray for the three Ambrogi boys and their mother Rose.

Several years later, around 1954, when I finished my tour in the USMC, I worked for an oil company that maintained many of the heating plants of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and other catholic institutions, one of which was Holy Family Home.  I’m sure my grandmother Rose and her three boys are with the Little Sisters of the Poor in heaven. Hopefully, I will join them.

I’m now retired and live in Florida and have told this story many times.  Years pass, people change, but I will never forget the Little Sisters of the Poor, especially on Saturday.  

Best Wishes,

Richard Ambrogi