Celebrate these beloved classics of San Gennaro: 4 stays to care for

My mom!

For nearly a century, New York’s Feast of San Gennaro has filled the streets of Little Italy with rowdy 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 then launched in 1926 by immigrants to the Big Apple eager for the sights, sounds and bits of their garlic-colored homeland.

In the modern era, it has turned into a massive, 10-day, red sauce-fed “mangia”. Featuring dozens of vendors, only a handful have stood the test of time over its 98 years.

These are some of the festival’s most popular vendors and celebrities.

Ferrara Bakery, 98 years old

A neighborhood anchor, Ferrara’s establishment predates the first party by three decades.

“We’ve been a part of it since the beginning, and back in the day we were just selling coffee, cannoli and light dessert,” fifth-generation family member Anthony Sessa, who currently serves as the bakery’s Director of Operations, told The Post .

These days, the sweet outfit serves up dozens of pastries and baked goods, from savory sfogliatelle to juicy rum baba.

Eventually, they also got into the gelato business “and that, along with cannoli, are our two biggest sellers during the holiday.”

However, Sessa said the tradition has transformed over the past century, including expanding in size and scope. “There were far fewer restrictions years ago; I don’t want to say it was more of 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 became a beloved gift and trinket shop. These days, current owner Ernie Rossi’s presence at the party outside his Little Italy storefront is known for an array of custom and novelty shirts that have recently been caught in the middle of a fashion trend (including the standout Daddy’s Little Meatball).

“Ever since I was little, I remember we had a table outside for the party,” said Rossi, now 74.

“We used to try to sell whatever we wanted to clean in the store, but by the ’70s we started 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 days, including the infamous “grease pole”: a telephone pole sprinkled with grease people would try to climb, and if they reached the top, they won a prize. You probably can’t do that today.”

As for his business, after speculation that he would become a victim of the pandemic, Rossi is determined. “As long as the Good Lord gives me the strength, I’ll keep it running,” he declared. “It is my goal in life. It’s my home, I was born and raised here. So we have plans to stay and continue.”

Lucy Sausage, 52 years

“My grandmother started this from scratch and her name was Lucy, too,” said Lucy Spata.

The operation known for its famous sausage and peppers has made Lucy’s a stalwart of Italian festivals around the Trieste area, including San Gennaro, for the past half century. (She was even named the festival’s “Queen” in 2022.)

“We have to stick to our traditions,” Spata said of her movement, which marvels at how the festival was once just a miserable block and the entire operation it boasted was a garbage pail filled with hot coals. Today, she usually features 10 booths, give or take, during the party, and in addition to salami, she’s also known for fried zepola and massive rice balls.

“I adore and love all of my customers,” Spata said, noting that she has served generations of families. “There are people who tell me that they had my sausage in the womb, which makes me feel old. But it’s a beautiful thing.”

Caffé Palermo, 51 years old

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

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

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

With a $50 investment, no refrigerator (he’d use his grandmother’s), and a simple table and chair he found on the street, DeLutro launched Caffé Palermo, and the rest is ricotta-filled history.

“I work a lot eight days a week, but I have a passion for it,” said DeLutro, who built his business into a cannoli empire that boasts nationwide delivery, the popular coffee shop and an upcoming collaboration with the estate of the late singer Tony Bennett.

“It’s all something that’s very difficult to achieve when you have nothing,” he said. “And I came from nothing.”