Brooklyn's Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast celebrates towering Giglio tradition

CBS News

5 days ago

Under the blazing July sun on Sunday, more than 100 men hoisted an 80-foot wooden tower into the air, swaying to the rhythm of a live brass band.
Known as the Giglio, the towering structure is the centerpiece of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast, a tradition brought to Brooklyn by Italian immigrants more than a century ago, and one that traces its origins back over 1,000 years to Nola, Italy.
Head Capo Danny Vecchiano led the procession like a general commanding a small army. The capo's role is to coordinate the massive lift and guide the men carrying the several-ton structure through the streets of Williamsburg.
"This is the epitome of being an Italian American in Brooklyn," Vecchiano said. "This is the greatest show of faith. This is the greatest show of family, of tradition, of our heritage."
Supporting Vecchiano was a team of lieutenants, responsible for executing his commands and maintaining the Giglio's balance as it moved down the street.
"The lieutenant's job is to take the directions from the capo, relay them to the men, and then help the capo direct the Giglio down the street, keep it straight and let the men know what's going on," said Mark Mascioli, one of the lieutenants.
Vecchiano is a local high school principal. He said his students contributed to the towering structure that looks like a work of art.
"I had students involved in painting the Saints on the Giglio and doing some work here in the church. They came here on Saturdays to help. So it was very cool," he said.
Each capo serves a two-year term and is responsible for the design and operations of the Giglio. Many participants wait decades for the honor. This year marks the end of Vecchiano's tenure.
Despite the oppressive summer heat, the lifters worked together to carry the structure.
"My dad did when he was a kid, now me and my brothers, we do it in my family," said lifter Andrew Conce, explaining the intergenerational nature of the tradition.
Hundreds of spectators lined the streets to watch the spectacle, which commemorates Saint Paulinus of Nola, a fifth-century bishop who, according to legend, offered himself into slavery to save a widow's son during a pirate invasion.
"So many memories with our family and I'm so proud to keep this tradition going," said lifter Craig Addeo Jr.
For Addeo and others, the event is more than a religious ritual, it's a celebration of identity and community.
"My dad lifted the Giglio from 1940 to 1970," said Craig Addeo Sr.
Attendees said the spectacle blends the sacred and the joyful.
"There's something comical and also very beautiful about the whole thing," said attendee Matthew Falcone.
"My parents got married right in this church, and we got married there as well. So it's just tradition and good food," said Susan Millan.
"Every year is different. Every year you get the chills every time they sing the songs, so it's just amazing," added volunteer Angelina DiGioia.
This year's final day of the feast also paid tribute to past capos, referred to as "old timers," and marked the ceremonial hand-off to a new leader.
"This tradition will carry on long past us," Vecchiano said.
Thousands of people with ties to Brooklyn, many of them returning from across the country, reunited in Williamsburg for what has become one of New York City's most iconic ethnic and religious festivals.
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