Mamma mia!
For nearly a century, New York’s San Gennaro Feast has packed the streets of Little Italy with riotous revelers, sizzling sausage and plenty of cannoli and music to spare every September.
What began in Naples, Italy, as a tribute to the eponymous Patron Saint of the southern Italian city was subsequently launched in 1926 by immigrants in the Big Apple yearning for the garlic-tinged sights, sounds and slices of their homeland.
In the modern era, it’s turned into a massive, 10-day, red sauce-fueled bacchanal of “mangia.” Featuring dozens of vendors, only a handful have stood the test of time throughout its 98 years.
These are some of the festival’s most famous vendors and inimitable characters.
Ferrara Bakery, 98 years
An anchor of the neighborhood, Ferrara’s founding predates the first feast by three decades.
“We’ve been part of it since the beginning, and back in the day we only sold coffee, cannoli and light dessert,” fifth-generation family member Anthony Sessa, who currently acts as the bakery’s Director of Operations, told The Post.
These days, the sweet outfit serves up dozens of pastries and baked goods, from flaky sfogliatelle to juicy rum baba.
Eventually, they got into the gelato business as well “and that, along with cannoli, are our two biggest sellers during the feast.”
Still, Sessa said the tradition has morphed throughout the past century, including expanding in size and scope. “There were much less restrictions years ago; I don’t want to say it was more a free-for-all, but it’s slowly getting back to where it was.”
E. Rossi and Co., 98 Years
What began as a record store in 1910 eventually turned into a beloved gift and trinket shop. These days, current proprietor Ernie Rossi’s presence at the feast outside his Little Italy storefront is known for an array of custom and novelty shirts which has lately caught itself in the midst of a fashion trend (including the eminent Daddy’s Little Meatball apparel).
“Ever since I was a little kid, I remember us having a table outside for the feast,” said the now 74-year-old Rossi.
“We used to try to sell everything we wanted to clear out in the store, but by the ’70s we began making shirts,” he explained, noting that his designs have since been copied all over town.
Still, he can’t help but remember San Gennaro’s wilder eras, including the infamous “grease pole: a telephone pole slathered with grease people would try to climb, and if they got to the top they’d win a prize. You probably can’t do that today.”
As for his business, after speculation it was to become a casualty of the pandemic, Rossi is resolute. “As long as the Good Lord gives me the strength, I’m going to keep it running,” he proclaimed. “It’s my purpose in life. It’s my home, I was born and raised here. So we have plans to stay and continue.”
Lucy’s Sausage, 52 Years
“My grandmother started this from nothing and her name was Lucy, too,” said Lucy Spata.
The operation known for her famed sausage and peppers has turned Lucy’s into a stalwart of Italian festivals around the tristate area, including San Gennaro, for the past half-century. (She was even named “Queen” of the festival in 2022.)
“We have to hold onto our traditions,” said Spata of her drive, who marvels how the festival used to be just one measly block and all the operation boasted was a garbage pail filled with hot coals. Today, she typically flaunts 10 booths, give or take, during the feast, and aside from the sausage, she is also known for crispy fried zeppole and massive rice balls.
“I worship and love all of my customers,” Spata gushed, noting she’s served generations of families. “There are people who tell me that they had my sausage while they were in their mother’s stomachs, which makes me feel old. But it’s a beautiful thing.”
Caffé Palermo, 51 years
All hail the “Cannoli King,” otherwise known as John “Baby John” DeLutro, who grew up a product of the festival and currently owns Caffé Palermo, named after his family’s Sicilian home city.
“My grandmother and mother had one of the biggest fish stands at San Gennaro,” the 70-year-old boasted.
But after his mother tragically died in a car accident when DeLutro was just 15, he vowed to continue the family legacy after noticing high demand for pastries in Little Italy beyond the aforementioned Ferrara.
With a $50 investment, no refrigeration (he’d use his grandmother’s fridge) and a simple table and chairs he found on the street, DeLutro launched Caffé Palermo, and the rest is ricotta-stuffed history.
“I work hard eight days a week, but I have a passion for it,” said DeLutro who built his business into a cannoli empire that boasts nationwide shipping, the popular cafe, and an upcoming collaboration with late singer Tony Bennett’s estate.
“It’s all something that’s very hard to achieve when you have nothing,” he said. “And I came from nothing.”
