The usually bustling Marina district right here is quiet, however Guido Mastropaolo’s gelato store was buzzing on a latest morning…. His head gelato maker packed kilos of colourful flavors into 10 containers, and Mr. Mastropaolo rolled his eyes at his teenage daughter, who, at 10:30 a.m., had already gotten into the frozen deal with.

He’s on a mission to cheer up a bunch that’s struggling otherwise from many others during the coronavirus pandemic: San Francisco’s growing old Italians. For these “previous technology” immigrants—lots of whom reside alone, converse little English and have helplessly watched deaths from Covid-19 of their homeland soar above 25,000—free gelato can present some solace.