The sign over the front door says it – it bellows out in block letters: U.S. Open Champions 1979 & 1991. Founded 1949. “Everyone knows the Brooklyn Italians,” said Masucci. He smiled at a group of children tapping on the glass, eyeing the trophies along the ledge. “They always come up to us and say, “we know the Brooklyn Italians!”

Strong Roots & a String of Names

The Brooklyn Italians have gone by many names in these last 70 years. They were Inter-Brooklyn Italians, Inter SC and even Boca Juniors for a year. They were Palermo FC and the Brooklyn Dodgers (they won the 1979 USOC under this name) before they came around and settled back on Brooklyn Italians. They won the Open Cup twice, in 1979 and 1991, when it was still known as the National Challenge Cup. And they went to two other Finals (’81 & ’90). They are widely considered one of the best Americans teams during those days when everyone had a day-job and semi-pro was as good as it got.

“I just loved to play the game,” said Silvio Montalto, captain of the 1979 Cup winners, now in his sixties and surrounded by photos of his younger self and the team that beat local heroes and three-time Open Cup finalists Chicago Croatia (HNNK Hrvat) in the summer of 1979. “My high school team in Brooklyn was pretty bad – they didn’t know anything about soccer. Some of the Italians from the other high school teams told me about Brooklyn Italians and that’s how I ended up here.”