One of the first interviews the Dictionary commissioned when it started was with Luigi Coluzzi, one of the men who introduced Sydneysiders to espresso coffee in 1957. You can hear Luigi's story here on the Dictionary here: http://dictionaryofsydney.org/audio/19970 The lifting of government controls on the import of coffee in the 1950s coincided with the arrival of hordes of coffee-loving immigrants. By the early 1960s coffee 'lounges' were appearing in Sydney's suburbs, heralding the beginning of Sydney's current love affair with its coffee. Luigi's Bar Coluzzi was special. A charismatic and charming man, and a former boxing champion, Luigi attracted boxers, actors, lawyers and theatre-goers to his bar. Initially located on William Street, Bar Coluzzi moved to Victoria Street in 1970. There were crowds of people and it was partly due to Bar Coluzzi that we got outdoor dining and the cafe culture we have today. Luigi Coluzzi contributed to East Sydney's and Darlinghurst's Italian feel. Other resturants also opened in the 1950s: in Stanley Street, La Veneziana opened in 1952 and No Name in 1959; nearby, in Yurong Street, Giuseppe Polese opened his famous Beppi's Restaurant in 1956 (decades later, in 1992, Polese establish the restaurant Mezzaluna in Potts Point). Other iconic meeting places for Italians were the Atlanta Club, Mario Abbiezzi's Garibaldi Bar in Riley Street, the Bar Coluzzi in Darlinghurst, and the Cafe Sport in Leichhardt. You can read more about the Italian influence in Sydney in our article by Gianfranco Cresciani on the Dictionary. Mr Coluzzi died last week at the age of 84. You can read his obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald which tells the full story of this great immigrant who gave us good coffee. Or check out an article about Luigi in Sydney Time Out from 2008. --- If you missed Lisa's segment with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast last week, you can catch up here. Listen in this Wednesday morning for more Sydney history at 8:20am, 107.3