The weather was crisp, and the sun was mild as thousands celebrated the 27th annual Ferragosto in the Bronx’s Little Italy.
The smell of cigar smoke, charred sausage, and peppers filled the air—along with the sound of singers at every corner. Some belted Italian classics, others pop hits, and all at the same time. The festivities were scheduled to kick off at noon, but by 11:30 a.m., money and food were already changing hands.
“It’s the real Little Italy,” said Nico Toliano, a vendor from Queens who was selling customized kitchen items and his witty merch of brand parodies, like a Supreme t-shirt that read Spaghetti or a Gucci shirt that read Gnocchi.
The other little Italy is downtown Manhattan along Mulberry Street, which will celebrate its 99th annual San Gennaro festival later this month.
Ferragosto, an ancient Italian celebration that literally translates to “the festival of Augustus,” gets its name from the eponymous Roman Emperor who ruled from 27 B.C. until his death in 14 A.D and who also named the festival after himself. Traditionally celebrated on Aug. 15, the small enclave of the Bronx’s Little Italy celebrates it the weekend after Labor Day and this year, it landed on Sunday, Sept. 8.
More than 20 vendors lined Arthur Avenue between 184th and 187th streets, including Regina Migliucci-Delfino, owner of Mario’s Restaurant, who, along with her family, doled out sangria and their famous pizza with a recipe that has not changed in 105 years, according to Migliucci. Her late father, Joseph Migliucci, who was handed down the restaurant by his father Mario, was honored with a street co-naming this year at 184th Street.
The restaurant also had workers promoting their brand-new pre-packaged spicy olive oil and marinara sauce which launched this summer. And keeping a restaurant open for more than a century is no easy feat in NYC.
“You have to stay true to your heart’s content, to your traditions and loyal to your customers,” the restaurateur told the Bronx Times. “And we have customers who are loyal to us. I treat them like family.”
The line at Calabria Pork Store’s booth, serving sausage and peppers was dozens of people long with owner Peter Parrota at the helm serving them to hungry festival-goers. The “sausage chandelier” shop has hundreds of aging links hanging from its ceiling, thus earning it its moniker.
Many attendees visited the actual restaurants and delis.
David Greco was up and out early at his deli doing what he does best – greeting, feeding and imbibing the people– a real-life Bacchus. Greco, the current owner of Mike’s Deli, which is located inside the historic Arthur Avenue Retail Market, always has a piece of something he wants you to try. His father, Mike Greco, the deli’s founder who died in 2019, was recognized with a street sign co-naming at Hughes Avenue last year. The “salami king” died at the age of 89.
The Teitel Brothers had a booth and their store, which is usually closed on Sundays, was open selling specialty Italian goods and is the oldest shop in the area established in 1915. They, too, received a street co-naming in 2021 along 186th street.
And attendees and workers commented on the sense of love and unity that permeated the festival.
“If I wasn’t a representative of this wonderful neighborhood, this is still somewhere I would always be,” said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera while hanging out at the Bronx Beer Hall, which is celebrating 11 years of business inside Arthur Avenue Retail Market.
“Every weekend we’re here,” said Vinny Tammaro who grew up in the neighborhood, but now lives in Dutchess County.
“Honestly, it’s the people,” said Jenny Morales, a Bronx-native. “And the vendors, they’re awesome.”
Despite the streets being swarmed, people could be heard being cordial to one another. “Are you in line?” one person politely asked the other while someone saying, “Pardon me,” could be heard in the distance. Even the over-worked staff at the dozens of booths and stores selling some of the best Italian goods on this side of the Atlantic made sure to be all smiles.
“You’ve got to be up on things, you’ve got to be positive, otherwise, what’s the alternative, you know?” Nick Vero told the Bronx Times in friendly conversation about the secrets of a long healthy life. The master of ceremonies returned for his ninth year and has an incredible history of serving in the military across branches, for more than three decades.
The entertainment was electric as Vero kicked off the music with classic crooner songs. Jenna Esposito followed and was joined by her father on guitar and nephew on drums, as she emphatically sang several Italian hits, including “O Sole Mio.” According to Esposito, Elvis Presley heard the song while in the military and loved it so much he recorded the English version “It’s Now or Never,” which she also sang.
“Like my father always says,” she told the crowd. “Into every home a little Elvis must follow.”
Tribute band RockSteady had people dancing with their cover songs and Elio Scaccio closed out the night.
The Commedia dell’arte troupe was cackling through the crowd with contagious grins and freaky Renaissance-era masks and there was no shortage of kids and pets. And despite Little Italy slowly becoming more Albanian and home to many Hispanic families and Indian retailers, like Sallate Fruit & Juices, the tradition of Italy lives strong, but welcomes all.
“Even if they’re not Italian, they all come back with a good type of feeling,” said Greco.
Chazz Palminteri made his usual cameo at La Casa Grande Cigars inside the market, where owner Paul DiSilvio was holding his annual party complete with DJ Lisa Messina who sounded fantastic and had the crowd vibing.
Palminteri celebrated the launch of his “Bronx Tale” brand cigar and wine at La Casa Grande in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The famous movie mobster is kind and humble in person but speaks curtly and brief. He was with his loyal friend Bobby Falcone and posing for pictures with fans which he always does at events.
“This is where I was born and raised,” Palminteri told the Bronx Times, who also makes a point of coming to the festival every year if he’s in town.
This article was updated on Sept. 9 at 5:42 p.m.
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
