San Gennaro to double the fun

View file photoJeri Snipes holds a hammer during her strong man test at the San Gennaro Feast in 2005. Advertisement

For the first time in Las Vegas history, the San Gennaro Feast will appear twice annually, just as it is done in Italy. The first celebration will take place May 2-6, and the second will be Sept. 11-16.

Anthony Palmisano has been a part of the event since he was a young boy, and wants the people of Las Vegas to get into the tradition behind the feast.

San Gennaro was beheaded for his belief in Christ in 305 A.D., by the Roman Empire. Before his death, he had gone to comfort Catholic prisoners in jail. Because of this act, he too, was placed behind bars and tortured, although he never wavered from his beliefs, Palmisano said.

"The Roman Empire had him beheaded because he was getting powerful. He was really popular in his day," he said.

After his death, San Gennaro's blood was placed in two phials by a local Naples woman. It is said that his blood liquefies on the first Sunday of May, the anniversary of his relics being transferred, and on Sept. 19, the anniversary of his death. Thus, the reason for two celebrations.

"I went to Italy in May of last year, and I walked in the procession," Palmisano said. "To this day, last year when I went, his blood liquefied. I was amongst the royal family, the governor of Naples, the mayor, there were thousands of people walking in the procession. It was an eye-opening experience for me cause I'd never been."

With his uncle running the San Gennaro Feast, Palmisano started his career as a kid with a dime pitch game, followed by lemonade, Italian ice and sausage stands. In 1982, Palmisano's uncle asked him to help run the festival.

"He told all the family. He said, 'I want to pass this on to Anthony.' He got me hooked," Palmisano said. "I'm part of it, part of the history of Las Vegas. This year is the first time in a few years that I'm bringing back all the stars from the Strip."

Stars to be involved in this year's feasts include Tony Sacca as host, Enzo Selvaggi, Joe Vento, Frank Marino, Stephen Sorrentino and Lena Prima as grand lady.

"I try to get all Italian singers on my stage or all Italian descent. San Gennaro Feast this year is here to entertain everyone in the old way of Vegas. I'm bringing in over 31 stars," Palmisano said.

Other entertainment includes the carnival, which is fairly new in recent years. "My uncle never had rides," Palmisano said. "When my kids were little, we used to go to the fairs, so I started talking to the amusement companies to start coming to my festivals. In the beginning, I used to get little rides, and now I have a state fair-sized carnival. It's an Italian fair."

"There was a stage with people singing on it," said Nicole Tully, who attended last year's event. "Somebody was singing a Frank Sinatra song and people were dancing. That was neat."

"This is a family affair. It's the traditional Italian singers," Palmisano said. "I have people that come and sit in front of my stage and they enjoy it, you know the old timers. They come because it reminds them of back East or the old country. That's why it's such a big success. I always expect over 100,000 people."

The San Gennaro Feast also is famous for the food. In fact, it's the place to go for a sausage and pepper sandwich. "I think I had meatballs in a bread bowl. It was really good," said Tully. "They had all this weird carnival food. I really like carnivals, so that's why I went."

This year, there will be lobster tails, linguini and clams, eggplant parm, panini, stuffed artichokes, fried calamari, Italian fried dough and cannolis. "It's a family tradition in Vegas," Palmisano said.

All Italian entertainment will be held from 4 to 9 p.m., and from 9 p.m. every night, Tony Sacca will come in and take over the show.

"I bring the culture with San Gennaro," Palmisano said. "We do a procession every year, so it's important to show people our culture through San Gennaro."

The feast includes a fireworks show on Wednesday, provided by Zambelli Fireworks. "I try to put all the Italians to work," Palmisano said. "San Gennaro's been good to my family."

There will be arts and crafts vendors, jewelry stands and wine booths at the feast, and all monies collected at the statue of San Gennaro will be donated to Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. The San Gennaro Feast is located at 4245 Grand Canyon Parkway in the Grand Canyon Shopping Center. The Feast will be from 4 to 11 p.m. May 2 and 3, 4 p.m. to midnight on May 4, 11 a.m. to midnight on May 5, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on May 6. Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for seniors. Children under 54 inches tall are free. Discount coupons are available at www.sangennarofeast.com.