Christmastime in Italy (and, of course, in Italian America) wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the Presepio, the lovingly crafted Nativity Scene. And for centuries, generations of artisans in the city of Napoli have been heralded for creating the world’s finest Presepi. But, in the heart of Brooklyn’s famed Dyker Heights neighborhood, there’s an Italian American craftsman who, for 40 years, has been giving the city by Vesuvius some stiff competition!

Brooklynite John Miniero (a master baker who immigrated to the United States from Sorrento, Italy over 65 years ago) has spent four decades hand crafting a massive Presepio in the front yard of his 14th Avenue home… and its one that has to be seen to be believed!