It's Italian Festa Time in Los Angeles - Feast of San Gennaro LA's Prima Notte

Ciao a tutti,

Last week I wrote about a "Festa in famiglia," a Festa amongst family. Well, this it feels like I am writing about more of the same. That is what the Los Angeles San Gennaro Italian Festival officially called Feast of San Gennaro, LA, felt like for Chef Richard and I this year.

We felt like we were having a big party with all of our Italian friends and family. Actually, it feels like that anytime we do a festival or show because, like our tag line says, "In our kitchen you're family." But LA was extra special.

We were invited to take center stage on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's outdoor stage used during the Festival to perform our "Filippo and the Chef" Show Live. We were all too happy to oblige. After performing in so many other towns and festivals, it was wonderful to be invited to participate here in our home town.

Well, home town, I was born in Northern California and Richard in the Bronx, but for the past decade or so, both Richard and his family and I have called Southern California home.

And so, when asked to participate in our "hometown," festival, we at "Filippo and the Chef," went all out. We had a booth decked out with our sponsors, we had a kitchen built for the stage and we invited our old friends and some new friends to participate with us on stage. To say it was fun would be an understatement.

But in this post I will post only the pictures of Prima Notte, which is a big night not just for the festival and Los Angeles but nationally. Prima Notte (First Night) shares ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's limelight with guests from the show appearing on the Prima Notte Stage during the broadcast etc.

This years guests on the Jimmy Kimmel Show who were part of the Prima Notte Festivities include Chef Mario Batali, Danny DeVito, Tommy Lasorda, and Frankie Valli. Below I have posted a Youtube.com video of that telecast.

Of course the first picture above is of Jimmy Kimmel and I. Below that picture is Frankie Valli and I, then Ed Marinaro, Sgt. Coffey from Hill Street Blues, and I, and here I am pictured with Tommy Lasorda.

How could I not have a picture taken with the "Marvelous Wonderettes?" They are part of a musical that is headed to New York and will appear off-Broadway, shown here in their '50's attire and sweaters on because it was chilly that night.

Below I am pictured with the President of the Los City Council, a proud Italian-American, Eric Garcetti.

Lets see, I think I will just list the photos from here. Underneath that is Actor and very funny guy Bobby Costanzo, and also actor and funny man, in fact he wrote many funny movies with Mel Brookes, Rudy De Luca.

Below that I am pictured with actor Ed Lauter, a friend of Chef Richard Lombardi's and his wife's, and immediately below that I am pictured once again with Ed but also with Chef Richard and actor John Santucci better known as "Johnny Pizza." I love that name. You will see me and Johnny Pizza just below that picture as well.

Though he is not an actor, I think most people know another Italian-American that is the CEO and Co-Founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems hair products. Well, he is John Paul Dejoria and you see him and I pictured together flashing the famous peace sign he is also known for doing in pictures.

The beautiful young lady I am pictured with below the picture of John Paul Dejoria and I is this years Miss Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles. She was very sweet, which is more than I can say for George Pecoraro, pictured below her and I.

Just kidding George. George is an entertainment agent and owner of George Pecoraro Productions, we have known each other for years. He handles a lot of big name acts and was there with Frankie Valli.

And finally, bookending the set of pictures is another picture of Jimmy Kimmel and I with most of the "heads" of the San Gennaro family... to my right is Frankie Competelli, original founder of the feast and owner of Frankie's on Melrose, a popular New York style Italian restaurant in Hollywood. Then there is Kimmy Kimmel and next to him, his cousin and Miss "do everything" for the feast, Ann Potenza.

And finally, Miss "you can't do it that way," for the feast, he, he, the feast attorney and long time supporter, Claire Ambrosio. Now I should have known better than to write it up this way and I know I am going to get shit for it, but Claire knows I love her, and I just couldn't resist.

This is it for part one, part two will soon follow.

Filippo

P.S. Don't forget to watch the Youtube.com telecast of part of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live Show that night. Enjoy (In English)