The website for the Figli di San Gennaro, the non-profit that has been running the Feast of San Gennaro since 1996, claims that the organization has donated more than $1.6 million dollars to at least 72 charitable organizations in the past 15 years. "No other street fair in New York City comes close to donating the amount of money we give to charities each year," Joseph Mattone, president of the organization, says on the website Which may well be true, but in 2009 at least (the last year for which tax records are available) the feast didn't give a dime to any charities.
When the Post noticed that the Feast hadn't been giving to any charities and asked about it, the tax-exempt group explained that they had actually "managed to save an extra $10,000, which they claim they later gave to the historic Church of the Most Precious Blood on Mulberry Street." But for some reason they just didn't mention it in their filings. Nobody was around at the Church when the paper called to confirm the donation (and nobody answered this morning when we gave them a ring). Organizers swear that when the 2010 returns go in we'll see another $46k going to needy charities. The organization's 2007 filings also showed no charitable donations (and that year it actually made a profit, which it didn't in 2009).
Probably our favorite bit about the feast's tax filings though is how the group describes itself as "an efficient and well managed event that improves community relations." Which, no matter what you think of the Feast and whether or not it should be cut off at Kenmare Street seems a touch generous to us.
Anway, as for the disputed length of the Feast, which is now in the hand's of the Mayor's office, the celebration got another big supporter on Friday when Public Advocate Bill de Blasio came out in favor of it continuing to run to Houston Street.
