Last week, the New York City Council passed two resolutions that, for our firm, are deeply connected – by a place, a community, and a story of loss, faith, perseverance, and resilience. That place is Little Italy.
The first, Resolution 0006-2026, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The second, Resolution 0082-2026, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro and the Ferragosto Festival, honoring the contributions of Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans to the cultural, political, and economic fabric of New York City.
Our partner, Vito R. Pitta, submitted testimony to the Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations in strong support of both. We wanted to share why these two resolutions matter so much to us, and why we believe they belong together.
A Firm with Roots on Mulberry Street
Pitta & Baione LLP’s connection to Little Italy goes back generations. Managing Partner Vincent F. Pitta was born on Mulberry Street, so part of our family history is literally rooted there. He spent the first months of his life above what is now the Grotta Azzurra restaurant, where his grandfather operated a fruit and vegetable store at the corner of Mulberry and Broome Streets.
Our family may have moved away, but we never really left Mulberry Street, and every September meant returning for the Feast of San Gennaro.
The Feast began on Mulberry Street in 1926 as a one-day celebration by Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans honoring their Neapolitan patron saint. Now, 100 years later, it has grown into an 11-day celebration spanning 11 blocks of Little Italy and drawing visitors from New York City and beyond. It is not simply a festival but a living institution, a tangible expression of the faith, traditions, sacrifices, entrepreneurship, and community spirit of generations of Italian New Yorkers.
September 11th and the Feast of San Gennaro Are Connected
The story of Little Italy cannot be told without September 11th.
The 2001 Feast was scheduled to begin on September 13th. The booths had been constructed, and the restaurants and vendors had stocked their kitchens. Families and businesses were preparing to welcome thousands of people to Mulberry Street.
Then, on September 11th, everything changed. Lower Manhattan was sealed off, and the Feast was canceled…but the food that had been prepared did not go to waste.
The neighborhood pivoted to caring for the first responders and recovery workers at Ground Zero, and for those present in the exposure zone with nowhere else to go. Restaurants and families who had spent months preparing to celebrate instead spent their time feeding the people working amid unimaginable destruction.
When New York was hurting, Little Italy responded. It did not ask what it could receive in return; it only asked what it could give.
The Consequences of September 11, 2001 Did Not End that Day
The 25th anniversary of September 11th is an occasion to remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed that day, the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the countless families whose lives were permanently changed. Resolution 0006-2026 also recognizes something incredibly important to those of us who spent the past 25 years working with the 9/11 community: that the consequences of September 11th did not end on September 11, 2001.
The resolution specifically recognizes those who became sick from exposure to the toxins released after the attacks and acknowledges that many New Yorkers continue to suffer from the physical and emotional consequences of that day even now, a quarter century later.
Our team’s work grew out of this continuing reality. Long before today’s federal programs existed, our attorneys were advocating for those who were injured and sickened as a result of September 11th and its aftermath.
For the past 10 years, we have continued to fight for the people who were there. Our clients have included everyone from first responders and recovery workers to residents, workers, and students who were exposed to the toxic environment south of Houston Street during the relevant time period.
Additionally, our clients have included hundreds of people who lived, worked, and operated businesses in Little Italy. On September 11, 2001, they were simply living their lives – working in the neighborhood’s restaurants and stores, going to school, and returning to their homes at night, breathing in toxic air all day, every day.
Yet for some, the consequences of breathing in this air did not become apparent for years, or even decades. This is what makes the Council’s recognition so significant.
Commitment that Extends Beyond Our Legal Work
Our commitment to this community goes beyond the courtroom. We are proud sponsors of the Feast of San Gennaro, and we continue to support initiatives that preserve and strengthen the neighborhood, including our partnership with the Billion Oyster Project and our work with local businesses to help restore New York Harbor. Our work reflects a principle we take seriously: rebuilding a community takes time, and some of the consequences of September 11th are still being addressed today.
Remembering and Celebrating Are Not Mutually Exclusive
It is both possible and necessary to mourn what we lost while celebrating what survived. We can remember the nearly 3,000 people who were taken from us while celebrating a neighborhood that refused to disappear. We can honor 100 years of the Feast of San Gennaro while remembering that, in one of the darkest moments in New York City’s history, the Feast became something more than a celebration – it became an act of service.
Twenty-five years after September 11th, we remember those we lost and those who continue to suffer. One hundred years after the first Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street, we celebrate a tradition that continues to bring people together. Both anniversaries remind us that New York City is defined not only by its great buildings and institutions, but by its neighborhoods, and by the people who care enough about these neighborhoods to preserve them, serve them, and stand up for one another.
Pitta & Baione LLP is proud to stand with the Little Italy community, and privileged to stand with the 9/11 community. We thank the Council for recognizing both the solemnity of September 11th and the enduring cultural significance of the Feast of San Gennaro, and for recognizing something the people of Little Italy have understood for generations: a community is measured not only by how it celebrates together, but by how it stands together when times are hardest.
