In this piece, the Undertaker is very quickly characterized as a fellow with a sense of mystery to him and through his character we are able to analyze society around him. In fact, it seems as though the social construct revolves around him. “Mayor Rizzo”, as he is named is the man that everyone seems to go to in order to discuss their problems. He has such a profound effect on everyone in the neighborhood that almost everyone finds themselves exchanging pleasantries with him as well as sharing full stories.

Liebling illustrates a point through his thorough analysis of the undertakers and their general New York pride. Mulberry Street gravitates towards him and his establishment as the hangout hot spot. Upon their opening of the Italian feast, they effectively isolate themselves from neighboring blocks doing the very same thing.

However, the fact that even local police officers remain friendly towards the locals that Liebling hones in on shows a community that flourishes, albeit quite oddly by the standards of today. The accents that the characters hold are quite alike, perhaps suggesting a segregation of alike backgrounds.