St. Cono Brings Hipsters and Italians "Together" in Williamsburg

Wally G's Flickr

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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By Rachel Pincus in News on June 7, 2010 6:06 PM

Comments [rss]

christocco

The Tocco's response: www.thetocco.weebly.com

Amalek

The Hasids of the area don't have similar problems in dealing with hipsters because the latter quickly learn not to mess with them.

knobbynah

Fuck Williamsburg

Willie Nillie

Graham Ave sucks

hellx

I found it amusing that the "younger Williamsburg resident" quoted as having trouble connecting to the parade has an Italian last name.

S.K.

adds to the irony. By the way ,the State Assemblyman for Williamsburg is also an elderly Italian- Joseph Lentol. But most hipsters wouldn't be aware of this factoid. Nevermind voting, they wouldn't even do their census.

brandonz

Interesting, the Italian-American fella quoted uses the term "yuppies," but I guess that doesn't get as many pageviews.

mx0

At least you linked to a real story. You guys seriously put out confused, out-of-synch, or incoherent headlines quite regularly.

Nice job obeying Gothamist Style Point #2.whatever, though: attempt to put "Hipsters" in headline whenever possible, unless "Bikes" or "Cyclists" already appears.

Jamie McDonald

don't you know that riding bikes is what they do IN OHIO

Boogerwall

St. Cono (Coño if you're nasty) terrifies me every time I have the displeasure of walking down Richardson Street after dark. He resides in a tiny house, behind open blinds, shining horrifying florescent light throughout. There is nothing more ironic in Williamsburg than that fucking statue.

Sarah

i am a very italian american hipster.

uh oh. spells problems

Jamie McDonald

Hey, ain't nobody said that life was going to be easy, sister.

dirty hipster

Ugh - I guess if you interview enough people anywhere you'll find a couple of idiots.

Anyone who has been in the neighborhood longer than 6 months knows the Italian-American Catholic population (you know, your landlord) have quite a few parades on Graham and all over the neighborhood and the huge feast of the Giglio, which makes most of the Northside smell like funnel cake for a good week or so.

I realize organized religion is sooo passe - but show some respect. You make people like myself, who is actually trying to be a good neighbor, look bad.