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St. Cono Brings Hipsters and Italians "Together" in Williamsburg
By
Rachel Pincus
Published Jun 7, 2010
Modified Jun 7, 2010
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By
Rachel Pincus
Published Jun 7, 2010
Modified Jun 7, 2010
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Amid Williamsburg’s oft-mentioned Hasid/hipster binary of inhabitants, one invariably overlooked group is the Italian-Americans of the northern wood-frame end of the neighborhood. This dwindling but deeply-rooted group made themselves heard on Sunday as they marched through the streets of Williamsburg to honor the patron saint of their immigrant ancestors, St. Cono, just as they have done for decades. But the Times reports that times indeed have changed, and the people who used to join the parade from the sidelines have largely given way to hipsters with cellphone cameras taking photos for their Twitter and... dropping trou.
“Two years ago when we were doing St. Cono, one of these yuppies dropped his pants,” said Antonio Curcio, president of the Society of Saint Mary of the Snow. “It’s something I never saw in my lifetime. As a man, I wanted to grab him and smash him against a wall, but you got to be a better person.” Meanwhile, the hipsters/"yuppies"/"guppies"/"Village people" have reacted to the saintly environment by opening establishments like a new juice bar tentatively named the St. Francis Xavier Café, after an antique statue of the saint that towers over the shop's window display of wheatgrass.
Some younger Williamsburg residents, however, had trouble finding a connection with this parade: “It was a tiny parade, and they shut down Graham Avenue?” said Chris Tocco, 26, an actor. “There was one float and a horrible marching band. It was very ironic. The Latino parades are more festive.” Not smashing some people into walls indeed takes the patience of a saint.
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North Williamsburg
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st. cono
Rachel Pincus
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