Enjoy these popular San Gennaro classics: 4 stands to look out for

Mummy Mia!

For nearly a century, New York City's San Gennaro Festival has filled the streets of Little Italy every September with boisterous revelers, sizzling sausages, plenty of cannoli, and music.

What began in Naples, Italy, as a tribute to the southern Italian city's patron saint of the same name was launched in 1926 by immigrants in the Big Apple who longed for the garlic-colored sights, sounds and corners of their homeland.

In the modern era, it has evolved into a massive 10-day red sauce-fuelled “mangia” festival. Of the many vendors, only a handful have survived in the 98 years since its inception.

These are some of the most famous traders and inimitable characters of the festival.

Ferrara Bakery, 98 years

Ferrara is an important center of the district and was founded three decades before the first festival.

“We’ve been here since the beginning, selling only coffee, cannoli and light desserts,” Anthony Sessa, a fifth-generation family member and current operations manager at the bakery, told The Post.

Today, the candy store offers dozens of pastries and baked goods, from flaky sfogliatelle to moist rum baba.

Eventually they also got into the gelato business, “and these, along with cannoli, are our two best-sellers during the festival.”

Still, Sessa said the tradition has changed over the past century, including expanding in size and scope. “Years ago, there were a lot fewer restrictions. I don't want to say it was more of a free game, 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 evolved into a popular gift and jewelry shop. Today, current owner Ernie Rossi's presence at the festival outside his Little Italy store is known for a line of tailored and original shirts that have recently been in the midst of a fashion trend (including the famous Daddy's Little Meatball clothing).

“I remember that even as a small child we had a table outside at the festival,” said Rossi, now 74.

“We used to try to sell whatever we wanted to get rid of in the store, but in the '70s we started making shirts,” he explains, pointing out that his designs have since been copied all over the city.

Still, he can't help but remember San Gennaro's wilder times, including the infamous “Fat Pole: a telephone pole covered in grease that people would try to climb, and if they reached the top they would win a prize. You probably can't do that anymore today.”

As for his business, Rossi is determined despite speculation that it could fall victim to the pandemic. “As long as the good Lord gives me the strength, I will keep it going,” he declared. “It's my purpose in life. It's my home, I was born and raised here. So we plan to stay and keep going.”

Lucy's Sausage, 52 years

“My grandmother started this from nothing and her name was also Lucy,” said Lucy Spata.

Known for its famous sausages and peppers, Lucy's has made a staple at Italian festivals in the tri-border region, including San Gennaro, over the past half century. (In 2022, she was even named the festival's “queen”).

“We have to hold on to our traditions,” says Spata about her motivation. She is surprised that the festival used to cover only a measly block of houses and the business only had a garbage can full of glowing coals. Today, she usually has around ten stalls during the festival and is known for her sausages, crispy fried zeppole and giant rice balls.

“I adore and love all my customers,” Spata enthused, noting that she has served generations of families. “There are people who tell me they ate my sausage when it was still in their mothers' stomachs, and that makes me feel old. But it's a beautiful thing.”

Caffé Palermo, 51 years

Cheers to the “Cannoli King,” aka John “Baby John” DeLutro, who grew up a child of the festival and currently owns Caffé Palermo, named after his family’s Sicilian hometown.

“My grandmother and my mother had one of the largest fish stalls in San Gennaro,” boasted the 70-year-old.

But when his mother died in a tragic car accident when DeLutro was just 15 years old, he vowed to continue the family legacy after noticing the high demand for pastries in Little Italy beyond the aforementioned Ferrara.

With a $50 investment, no refrigeration (he used his grandmother's refrigerator), and a simple table and chairs he found on the street, DeLutro opened Caffé Palermo and the rest is ricotta 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, a popular cafe and an upcoming collaboration with the estate of the late singer Tony Bennett.

“All of this is very difficult to achieve when you have nothing,” he said. “And I came from nothing.”