A Humble Beginning: From Sicily to NYC
At the turn of the 20th century, Onofrio DiBella, a young musician from Italy, emigrated to the United States. To supplement his income from teaching mandolin lessons, he swept the floors of his uncle’s barber shop in New York City. But it wasn’t long before Onofrio noticed a need in his new community: musicians in his neighborhood struggled to find Italian sheet music from their homeland. Seizing the opportunity, he began importing sheet music from Italy.
Soon after, Onofrio founded a publishing business in a modest store beneath his apartment on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. The company originally served the Italian immigrant community by producing ballo liscio (lively dance) music.
By 1924, Onofrio purchased a former public school from the Department of Education on 116th Street, just steps from the famous Apollo Theater in Spanish Harlem to expand his publication business.
The O. DiBella Catalog quickly became part of the standard repertoire at Italian weddings, festivals and dances, specializing in writing and composing arrangements for mandolin, guitar, and accordion.
Becoming a Family Business and Expansion
In 1936, Onofrio's son, Michael DiBella Sr., joined the business. Over the next few decades, the store transformed from a sheet music publisher into a full-service musical instrument retailer. During this time, the DiBellas began building their own instruments on premise to serve the diverse local community, including bongos and congas, and offered a wide selection of phonograph albums.
By the 1960s, O. DiBella Music became one of the first Gibson Guitar franchises in New York City.
The Move to Bergenfield, New Jersey
In the 1960s, Michael DiBella Sr. and his wife Angelina DiBella, now residing in Fort Lee, New Jersey, made the decision to relocate the store from Manhattan to Bergenfield, New Jersey.
The move marked a new chapter for the business, allowing it to expand its offerings and attract a broader clientele, which helped the store grow and thrive in its new community.
The Third Generation: The 1980s and 1990s
In the mid-1980s, Michael DiBella Sr.'s sons, Michael DiBella Jr. and Anthony DiBella, along with their brother-in-law Harry Muscariello, joined the business and helped to expand O. DiBella Music’s retail presence and service offerings.
By 1999, they had completed construction on its 13,000-square-foot showroom in Bergenfield, where they continue to serve musicians today.
Today and Tomorrow: More Than Just a Store
For over 115 years, O. DiBella Music has been more than just a retail store—it’s been a cornerstone of the local music community.
As veteran employee Jim K. says, “There used to be a million mom-and-pop shops. While we’ve grown beyond that, we’re still a single storefront, family-owned, with a team that truly knows their craft. The DiBellas have always been good to their customers and treat their employees like family. That’s why we’ve been here for so long.”
O. DiBella Music doesn’t just sell instruments; they support musicians at every stage of their journey. From the early days of publishing ballo liscio music to today’s cutting-edge instrument technology, they continue to honor the legacy of Onofrio DiBella by sharing their history, traditions, expertise and passion for music with every customer who walks through their doors.
Saluti per altri 100 anni,
The DiBella Family
