Right around this time of year, in the early and middle parts of the 20th century, Saugatuck would celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony’s.
The entire, tight-knit Italian community poured into the streets. Music, food, games — it was a beloved highlight of the year.
Then in the mid-1950s, I-95 (“the Connecticut Turnpike”) sliced through Saugatuck. Homes were demolished, streets destroyed. St. Anthony’s Hall gradually faded, as a center of social life.
Eventually, St. Anthony’s Feast faded too.
In 1983, a group of volunteers revived the tradition. Festival Italiano — held in Luciano Park, and the nearby railroad station parking lot — quickly became 3 things: A new Saugatuck tradition. A town-wide fair.
And an attraction that drew visitors from all over the tri-state region (especially Brooklyn).
Italian Fest director Roberta Troy and grand marshal Buck Iannacone exchange glances during the parade.
For 27 years — with people like Lou and Marge Santella, and Mike and Carla Rae at the helm — “the Italian Fest” was a cherished part of Westport summers. With carnival rides and booths, tons of food (especially pizza, zeppole and the like), and entertainment (including favorites like Johnny Maestro), an old-fashioned parade, and MC John LaBarca (host of the long-running “Italian House Party” on local radio station WMMM), it was a modern-but-retro version of St. Anthony’s Feast.
Best of all: the sponsoring Sons of Italy returned $2.5 million to local charities.
But in 2011, Festival Italiano became another memory too.
It had become harder to find volunteers. Costs rose. Sponsors dwindled.
Saugatuck has changed so much over the years. St. Anthony’s Hall on Franklin Street, and the Sons of Italy building on Riverside Avenue, are gone.
Families like Capasse, Anastasia, Luciano, Cribari, Giunta, Caruso, D’Aiuto, Dorta, Romano, DeMattio, Arciola, DeMace, D’Amico, Manere, Capuano, Arcudi, Melillo, Rubino, Caputo, Tiberio, Bottone, Nazzaro, Saviano, Reitano, Valiante, Tedesco, Gilbertie and Nistico are spread all over town — and the world.
The neighborhood was redeveloped in the early 2000s. Now — with plans afoot for new apartments and retail — it’s changing again.
It’s been over a decade and a half since the last Festival Italiano. An entire generation of newcomers has moved here, with no memory — or even knowledge — of that great summer fair.
And even less knowledge of the Feast of St. Anthony’s, which preceded it.
Time marches on. But if it marched backward, we’d all be outside this week, in the middle of Saugatuck.
We’d listen to music. Play games. Ride rides. Meet old friends. Enjoy life.
And of course, eat way too much fried dough.
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I know every one of those names except one. Nick Tiberio was one of my best friends in the late 1950s He was a 35 year Westport police officer. When we lived in Florida, I used to visit his mother who lived well into her 90s.
Great memories! Thanks for some wonderful family fun and food remembrances! If your family could not be at NYC’s Little Italy, Saugatuck’s was the next best thing!!
I sent this to Nick Tiberio and he wrote, “ Jack this was great to read, what memories this brings back. I was part of this festival from 1983 to 2007 with public safety as my resposibilty and managing the railroad properties.”
And if my memory serves me right there was a parade! Oranized by Bill Vornkahl I suspect, aka, Mr. Parade?
The Italian Fest. was a great time. As far as those families listed, I either worked for, went to school with, socialized with or played golf with every one of them. Great people and great (simpler) times.
I was just talking about the Italian Festival yesterday with someone – always so much fun! Does anyone know where the Sons of Italy building was on Riverside? And on which side / area of the street as you head down Riverside to the old Bedford -now Saugatuck Elementary?
The original St Anthony’s hall was on Franklin street it is an office building I believe.
It was across from my old Arciola family compound used to be.
Thanks, Jeff. Here’s a story about St. Anthony’s Hall, from 2015: https://06880danwoog.com/2015/04/08/searching-for-st-anthony/
Oh the memories, it was a great time in Saugatuck, all the families mentioned contributed so much to this town, people you met would say “where you from” the answer was always Saugatuck, there used to be a tent set up that in it where pictures of old Saugatuck and the many people who started out there when they came over from Italy, sadly no one seems to know what happened to all those pictures, I cherish those memories and pass the Italian tradition on to my son and granddaughter, ( pot of sauce every Sunday still)
Ed Cribari
I was in school with these kids – Izzo, Palmer, Febbraio, Zullo. Caselnova, Saponare, Demaria, Coppola, Iannacone – as well as some on Dan’s list of names.
Staples ’58
Jeanne, Are you related to Tom, Dave and I can’t think of the name of the third brother that lived on Mills St. behind the car dealership.
There was an exchange student from Italy in 1958 that attended Staples for one year. I actually visited him in the mid 1960s when I was in Italy I can’t recall his name, but he was extremely popular!I remember asking him if he’d ever come back to Westport to visit and he said he doesn’t want to ever come back because he wants to remember the students as they were in 1958. I know anyone from that year would remember his name. Mary Sargent , from the class of 1958, asked me to visit him.
Maurizio Vitale
Or was his name Fabrizio Vitale? Vitale was definitely his last name. Christopher Lloyd was in that class. If you were in that 1958 class , you’re 87 years old this year!
6 comments, 1 thread ? ? 🙁
Izzos, Bucceris and Tuccinardi’s too! (Sp)
Along with Fratinos, Straffolinos, Tedescos, Doddos, Falascos, DeMeos, DeMattios, Ciatis, Caputos, Rubinos, Caprios, Pellicones, Espositos, Viestis, DePalmas, Pennas.
Saugatuck was a great place to grow up.
Wow, talk about a who’s who of Saugatuck! I went to school with many kids from those families from the real Saugatuck Elementary to Bedford JHS and Staples. With my dad owning a business in Saugatuck we knew at least someone from each name on Dan’s list. This story brings back lots of memories; too bad it will never be the same again.
Lou Santella was the backbone of the festival for its final years. When he retired the festival lost its zest
In the early 60’s, before the family moved to Compo, we lived in my grandfather’s other house in Saugatuck until I was about 5 or 6. Lou Santella (and his father) were our barbers. My best memory though were the very old, Italian widows, always dressed in long black dresses, who would make very large pizzas for take-out at St. Anthony’s Hall one night a week – where it always seemed that your place in line was based upon the number of children in your family. Fortunately, we had 5. While the feast was later resurrected by those who missed the feast from the earlier part of the century, I always think of our time there as the waning years of Italian Saugatuck – sadly.
Jackson Heights Queens was Irish Jewish and Italian in the 1940s and 50s. Our hockey goalie and baseball shortstop was Vic Rossi. lots of Italian jokes 😁
I was Joe Profaci’s cabana boy. He started the Colombo crime family. 🇺🇸
no jokes with Joe 👍