What happens
Luigi Basko, a shopkeeper in America, falls behind on two months of rent owed to his landlord Pasquale Squalli, who refuses to supply steam heat through the cold winter. Luigi writes letters home to his mama in Italy about the frigid conditions and his mounting frustration. An argument leads Luigi to swear he will never speak to Pasquale again, and the two men spend days in a stubborn silence that neighbors and friends try to break. Life with Luigi is a comedy series; this episode first aired on January 23, 1951, starring J. Carrol Naish as Luigi, with Alan Reed as Pasquale.
Luigi's antique shop in America during a severely cold winter, with the landlord's building and the wider neighborhood nearby.
Characters: Luigi Basko, Pasquale Squalli, Rosa, Schultz, Louisa
Listen for: Luigi's vow never to speak to Pasquale again, and the escalating ways the two men try to outlast each other.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.