A Return to East Harlem for the Giglio
April 7, 2007
The New York Times
September 5, 2006 Tuesday
A Return to East Harlem For the Dance of the Giglio
BYLINE: By SARAH GARLAND
SECTION: Section B; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 6
Frank Uvenio, 73, stood on Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem one recent Saturday and pointed toward the brown choppy waters. Over there was the dock where they would dive into the East River on hot summer days. He pointed toward the rooftops of the gray buildings. That’s where they would lie out on the tar to dry off. Down that street past the vacant lot was where they would hold the feast for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. And here, on this dead-end block, they would play stickball.
”This was like a paradise,” Mr. Uvenio said. ”That’s why we always come back.”
April 20, 2007 at 4:09 pm
I’m moving into a neighborhood just like this in arthur avenue in the bronx and its a shame that these neighborhoods are not what they once were but a few of my friends were thinking about moving too we want to start a little trend to bring some tradition back ….after all wer just getting out of college and starting are lives….what better place than a little apartment in an italian neighborhood with all fellow italians…As you can tell I probably dont belong in the generation I’m living in…
June 13, 2007 at 2:32 am
Growing up on Pleasant avenue in East Harlem has great memories. 1964 to 1975. The avenue was mostly Italian. Safe to be outside a 3 in the morning playing kick the can, skelzies or basket ball through the bottom rung on 1st floor firescapes. A bit noisy for that time of morning. Many pots of water thrown on us kids. We had Rose’s candy store on 118 st. Jimmy’s accross the street. Felix grocery on 117 st. The Pleasant ave Tavern. Jimmy’s bar under the club. Balsamo’s Funeral Home on 116 st. Most of us had nicknames usually something that protruded a feature. I was porcupine cause my hair was always unmanagable. Waxie had big ears. High-eye or (The Eye) was cross eyed.
Parents on the ave always fed kids. Nobody would go hungry, pasta was always on at each others home. There was respect. You had to be smart enough not to be stupid. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church/School. The best! Charcolette great sandwiches and coffee. I could go on and on. I reside upstate NY now. Near Saratoga. My heartfelt memories are still on Pleasant avenue. I miss my friends. That’s what it was all about.
July 19, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Great story on the Giglio. Here is some info
regarding the 2007 Giglio in August.
Please pass it on..thanks
East Harlem, once the largest Italian community in NYC is a pleasant memory for countless former inhabitants. To renew that memory, thousands of former residents along with their children and grandchildren will be returning to renew that bond and meet up with friends in the old neighborhood for the Feast of Giglio di Sant’Antonio.
sponsored by the Giglio Society of East Harlem.
The Giglio Society of East Harlem is a group of men who have dedicated their
lives to honor Sant’ Antonio, their beloved saint. Their love and devotion is on display
each year during their Annual Festival held in East Harlem, New York. They honor
their Patron Saint in very much the same fashion as their ancestry did and still do
annually today in Brusciano by building a Giglio and dancing it in the streets
of Manhattan, N.Y.
The origins of the Giglio Society trace their heritage back to the town of
Brusciano, Italy approximately 20 miles outside of Naples. Here an annual
Feast called the Dance of the Giglio takes place yearly in honor Sant’ Antonio.
The feast originally began back in the 1880’s when Francisco Vivolo prayed
to Sant’ Antonio to help cure his deathly ill child.
In exchange for this cure, Franciso vowed to honor Sant’ Antonio in the same
Manner the town’s people of Nola – Italy, a nearby town honoring San Paolino di
Nola, by constructing a Gigli in honor of Sant’ Antonio and dancing them in the streets
of Brusciano. Francisco’s prayers were answered and the dancing of the Giglio in
Brusciano was born. It continues today where 6 Gigli are built and danced on the
shoulders of hundreds of men yearly during the month of August.
For those unfamiliar with the Giglio (pronounced JEEL-YO)-it is a 75 to 85 foot
tall wooden structure weighing approx 8,000 lbs with a paper-mache face adorned with beloved saints and colorful flowers. Most prominent of the flowers is the Lily,
which is called Giglio in Italian – hence the name of the structure.
The face of the Giglio is one of the crucial components of each Giglio, each made from scratch each year to specification of the Maestro di Festa (or Master of Ceremonies) in Italy. Although the face changes yearly, one consistent fact remains and that it- the town’s patron saint can be found somewhere on the face and more likely on the top.
Giglios are built in honor of a town’s patron saint and carried on the shoulders of
approximately 120 men in a ritual that dates back to 409AD in the town of Nola Italy.
Today, Giglio feasts are found throughout a number of towns in the surrounding area
of Naples. Each town varies the tradition to meet the local town’s tradition.,
On the platform just above the base of the Giglio sits a multi-piece band along
with several singers. The music is an instrumental part of the dancing of the Giglio
as it inspires the lifters (also known as the ‘”Paranza” in Italian) to take on the burdening
weight of the Giglio and band and dance it in harmony to the music being played.
Additional historical Giglio information can be found at http://www.giglio-usa.org.
Around the turn of 1900’s, Italian immigrants left Italy in search of a better life for their families. During this time, Southern Italy was a very desperate place holding little or no promise of a bright future for the many starving and hungry families. Many had no
choice but to pack up their belongings and take a chance on moving to the promise
of ‘New World’ – America!
Many families from the town of Brusciano, Italy migrated to East Harlem, NY to
Start new with other families and friends that came before them. Although these
Immigrants brought little with them on their 30-day long voyage across the Atlantic
Ocean in the tight confines of the boat. What they did carry with them were their beloved traditions. For the people of Brusciano, this included the yearly Dance of the Giglio Festival in honor of Sant’Antonio.
Upon their arrival, the Italian immigrants of East 106th Street in East Harlem decided to initiate their beloved traditions by building a Giglio and dancing it in the ‘New World’. The festival on 106th Street grew for many years becoming one of the largest street fairs in America and remained that way until the mid 50s. Then in 1957, the festival moved a few blocks uptown to 108th Street where the Dance of the Giglio continued until 1971 .
After a 29 year hiatus, the Dance of the Giglio returned to East Harlem in 2000
as a Cooperative Feast with the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that resides
on 115th Street between 1st and Pleasant Avenues. The festival enjoyed several years
dancing the Giglio during the Annual Feast of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel
that takes place each year on July 16th, the Feast Date of the Madonna. Historical information on the Our Lady of Mount Carmel feast can be found at
http://www.mountcarmelofeastharlem.com.
For the 2006 Feast, it was decided to hold the Dance of the Giglio Festival
separate from the annual Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast. The decision to move the
Dancing of the Giglio dates made absolute sense in order to relieve the strain on the Giglio community. This strain was caused by the coinciding Giglio Feasts held in East Harlem and Williamsburg- Brooklyn ( http://www.olmcfeast.com ) dancing their Giglio
on the same weekend that fell around the July 16th , the feast date of the Madonna.
The Giglio Society of East Harlem continues under the auspices of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine Church. Their beloved pastor Father Peter J Rofrano.. ”A legend in East Harlem and primarily responsible for the return of the Giglio ” quoted by Frankie Fazzalari…… passed away on May 19th
Father Chris Salvatori who spent much of his early priesthood under Father Rofrano’s
Guidance describes Father Rofrano as “the icon of East Harlem.” Father returned to our Lord after almost 91 yrs here…. 3/4s of them living and working in East Harlem
.At the moment of his death, Father Rofrano was the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine Church on 115th Street between 1st and Pleasant Avenues.He was born on June 11,1916. He grew up on East 109th street, was an altar boy at Saint Ann’s church on E.110th street. He grew up with the early 106st Giglio. On July 30,1939 Father was ordained to the Pallotine order of the priesthood in Rome,Italy. But East Harlem and the Giglio were in his blood.You knew this because he wanted the Giglio back in East Harlem. After an absence of nearly thirty years, his dream came true with the lift on July16,2000.This year’s Giglio lift on August 12th is being dedicated to him. The Giglio Society of East Harlem will always cherish the good Father for his total support and spiritual guidance. Father Rofrano requiescet in pace.
The 2007 Dance of the Giglio feast will held on Pleasant Avenue between 114th and 115th Streets. Opening Night is Thursday—August 9th with entertainment at 8pm by
the Brooklyn Keys . Friday night August 10th there will be entertainment at 8pm by a fabulous oldies group….. The Chimetones.
Saturday September 9th will start with a Procession in honor of Sant’ Antonio at Noon.
6 PM will be the Dancing of the Children’s Giglio followed by live
Giglio Sunday August 12th will start with a mass for the Paranza at Our Lady of Mount Carmel at 12:30 pm. The Dance of the Giglio di Sant’Antonio will be at 1:30pm
with additional lifts and music by Danny Vecchiano and his Giglio Band.
Danny and his band have been an integral part of the East Harlem Giglio as well as the
Brooklyn Giglio in Williamsburg for many years. After the lifts..in early evening,
there will be DJ entertainment by Megan Z
Food vendors will be available offering beverages, sausage and peppers, zeppole, steak shish kabob and seafood. Souvenir Tshirts will also be sold (get there early for the shirts go fast)
Have you wanted to eat at Rao’s ( http://www.raos.com ) and can’t get a reservation? Here is your chance. The famous restaurant…a long time Giglio supporter has donated dinner for 4 to the Giglio Society’s annual raffle. Tickets are $10 each. Drawing will be held on Sunday nite. Winner does not have to be present. All proceeds from the raffle go directly towards the continuation of the Giglio tradition.
Gerard Madio..55 a third generation East Harlemite feels this feast is
“the last of Italian East Harlem as we remember it, that is why it is very important for everyone who was raised in this neighborhood or their parents or grandparents to come back again & again to enjoy the old neighborhood, old stories and old and new friends. The “Giglio” is the only true relic that belongs to us, so that is why we have it and cherish it. So enjoy yourself and when the Giglio Feast is over this Sunday, August, 12th, it is very important and very helpful that everybody who enjoyed themselves at the feast, to support and share that same enthusiasm and come to the ‘Annual Giglio Society Dinner Dance‘. It might look like “The Giglio” was built in a day, but it’s not. It requires fund raising and a year round event of planning, with men who put their heart and soul into it, to keep a tradition alive, and in the end, after looking at the smiling face’s of children with their parent’s or grandparents, it’s all worth it.”
Regarding updates on events sponsored by The Giglio Society of East Harlem ..go to http://www.eastharlemgiglio.com . For additional feast info call 703 975 8967
or Email bob631@aol.com
.