Stella D'Oro closes, taking a piece of history with it

This week, Brynwood Partners, the owners of Stella D'oro pastries, announced that it is closing the company's only factory. While some of the brand's products will continue to be produced in other facilities, the loss of Stella D'oro's Bronx bakery represents more than just the end of a factory; in many ways, it is the last act in a uniquely American story.

For many people, Stella D'oro cookies, breadsticks, and pastries are a breakfast standard, as basic a part of the meal as coffee, orange juice, and cereal. The bakery's iconic treats trace their heritage to Joseph Kresevich, who emigrated to the United States from Trieste, Italy in 1922. Ten years later, he and his wife Angela established Stella D'oro -- Italian for "gold star" -- in a small north Bronx factory.