NYC's San Gennaro feast nixes competitive eating contests

July 2024 · 4 minute read

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They left the cannoli.

All the competitive eating contests — cannoli, zeppole, meatball and pizza — are being shelved at Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro because organizers don’t think the spectacles are representative of “Italian culture and heritage,” The Post has learned.

“Those contests are good for carnivals and Coney Island,” sniffed San Gennaro committee member John Fratta on Thursday, the first day of the iconic Little Italy festival, which runs until Sept. 24.

“Having these contestants stuffing their faces with cream and sauce is not that pleasant to watch.”

The stunning news hit two-time cannoli contest winner Matt Pruznick like a plate of bad scungilli.

He told The Post he was “really disappointed” after he contacted organizers multiple times, to no avail, to see why the event — which had been running for the past 24 years — was suddenly cancelled.

Two-time winner of the cannoli-eating contest, Matt Pruznick, was disappointed to hear the competition was cancelled. Helayne Seidman

“No one ever responded,” he explained. “I tried calling, nobody picked up. I emailed; I reached out through Facebook.”

The Little Italy resident took home the title in 2021, when he downed 23 cannoli in six minutes, and 2022, when he gobbled 18. This year he was planning to beat this record.

“I was really looking forward to it this year,” he lamented. “A bunch of people from work were going to come down. My sister is coming up from Philadelphia; she bought an Amtrak ticket last month.”

After his win last year, Pruznick took off his shirt to celebrate and snapped this selfie with the crowd. Courtesy of Matt Pruznick

But Ernest Lepore, owner of the famed Ferrara Bakery, which sponsored the cannoli-eating contest since its inception — isn’t sad to see it go.

“When I see the people eating and it’s all over the floor and they look like they’re going to get sick, I don’t miss that,” he said.

He also doesn’t mind forgoing the work, which involved making 400 cannoli — each of the 10 contestants received a tray of 40 — and doling out 500 to the crowd, which cost him $1,500.

Fourth-generation Ferrara’s owner Ernest Lepore and his nephew Andrew Galante, who also works at the family business, in the bakery’s kitchen. Helayne Seidman

But Karen King, owner of Alleva Dairy, which sponsored the meatball-eating contest, said it’s outrageous the contests got whacked.

“I think it’s appalling that there’s no meatball-eating contest or cannoli-eating contest which has been going on for as long as I can remember,” she said. “A feast is not just a feast about eating and processions. It’s about getting people together and a sense of community.”

She added: “The contests are fun. People love them.”

Alleva owner Karen King sponsored the meatball-eating contest, which was named in honor of her late husband, John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia, the “unofficial mayor of Mulberry Street.” Terri Lynn

The prize for the cannoli-eating contest was $100 in cash — chump change according to former judge and “Goodfellas” actor Garry Pastore — who said the dough wasn’t worth competitors getting sick over their attempt to win.

“Some guy turned purple last year; I thought I was going to have to give him the Heimlich,” he said. “I couldn’t understand it, to win $100, why you’d do that to yourself.” 

The latest twist is not the first controversy to hit a San Gennaro eating competition.

Famed competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti participated in the cannoli-eating contest for 13 years, when it was affiliated with Major League Eating.

He said he — and all other pro eaters — were told arrivederci in 2017, when “Who’s the Boss” actor Tony Danza became involved in the festival as an investor in Alleva.

“He didn’t want to have any professional eaters, he wanted to be a boss of the people, I suppose,” said Conti, who won in 2009 by consuming 22 cannoli. “Hopefully maybe next year Major League Eating can come back and we’ll eat some more cannoli.”

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