In the Censimento Pietro Cocozza, is listed as the owner of the now-demolished premises at 352 Maryhill Road, Glasgow – at the junction with Trossachs Street (opposite what today is the Firhill Sports Complex
Robert Douglas, author of ‘The Song of the Last Tram’ recounts an incident at the cafe in 1940, following the wave of anti-Italian feeling that swept the country after Mussolini’s invasion of France – which brought Italy into the war.
Pietro Cocozza had been arrested that afternoon to be interned for the duration. His sons Bertie and Rennie having been born in Glasgow were exempt. Bertie had already been called up to the RAF, and Rennie was registered for call-up
In the evening, a mob of some 20 had been strutting along Maryhill Road and smashing the windows of any shop or business with an Italian-sounding name.
The mob stopped ouside Cocozza’s.
Intervention by Rennie reminding the would-be widow-smashers that they’d all grown up together defused the confrontation , the mob split into two factions. The group that won the day, declared “if you want to put their windaes in you’ll need to get by us. These are oor Tallies.
Cocozza’s windows survived the war intact.