‘The Godfather’ not welcome at famed San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy

The Feast of San Gennaro put successful on “The Godfather.”

“In our guidelines, no one can promote something with ‘The Godfather’ or mobsters or something that denigrates Italians,” John Fratta, a member of the committee that runs the long-lasting Little Italy pageant, held from Sept. 15 to 25, informed The Submit. “We don’t want folks pondering that the mob is working the feast.”

The 2016 decree was added to its vendor guidelines — and retailer homeowners within the space have been informed that in the event that they need to nonetheless peddle the gadgets, they need to solely be offered inside their outlets.

“It’s gone. We don’t need that crap there,” he stated of the mob-orabilia.

The merchandising cubicles are blessed by a monsignor on the primary night time of the occasion, now in its 96th yr.

There was a time when zeppoles weren’t the one scorching dough being handed round on the feast, which runs alongside Mulberry Avenue from Canal to Houston streets and honors the patron saint of Naples, Italy.

In 1996, then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani protected feast distributors after a federal indictment alleged the mob took $1.5 million from them in rental charges.

John Fratta, a San Gennaro committee member, bars any vendor from promoting any “The Godfather” merchandise on the famed Little Italy pageant.

Helayne Seidman

John Fratta refuses the Feast of San Gennaro to be related to “The Godfather.”

Helayne Seidman

John Fratta vows to combat Italian mob stereotypes fueled by “The Godfather.”

Helayne Seidman

“Giuliani cleaned up this feast very properly. Years in the past, for key spots, there have been envelopes given,” recalled Ernest Lepore, proprietor of Ferrara Bakery on Grand Avenue, which host the feast’s cannoli-eating contest on Friday. “You needed to pay a lot over and you bought the spot and [the mobster] acquired an envelope. Even in jail he would get an envelope.”

The feast was portrayed in “The Godfather, Components II and III” films, underneath the title Feast of San Rocco. Scenes of the feast additionally seem the current Paramount+ miniseries “The Provide,” which remembers the real-life involvement of gangsters within the making of the movies.

“I don’t discuss ‘The Godfather,’” Fratta stated. “I combat that. I’m with the Sons of Italy, and we combat that stereotype over and over and it simply retains on creeping again to us.”

Cannolis are made at Ferrara’s on Grand St. in preparation for festivities.

Helayne Seidman

Former Mayor Rudy Guilliani helped distributors from being threatened by the mob.

Helayne Seidman

The Mulberry Avenue native, whose nice grandfather, Luigi Vitale, was one of many founders of the feast, sat down final week with Mayor Adams – considered one of its honorary marshals this yr.

“We met with the mayor and he stated, ‘Do me a favor, give me the historical past of the feast,’” Fratta stated. “And we informed him, and he stated, ‘That is one thing now we have to maintain.’”