The annual San Gennaro Festival got off to a slow start this year, because its opening day was 9/11, but it picked up momentum as the warm weather drew the crowds later in the week. ”Thursday was slow, Friday was better, and Saturday is going great,” said John DeLutro, who has been running Caffé Palermo for 50 years. And he’s been rapidly branching out as he is part of a coalition trying to buy the first vacant property on Mulberry Street in 100 years at the corner of Grand Street.
A tenant made structural changes, causing a partial building collapse on the site at 188 Grand St., and now DeLutro is among those trying to buy the block from the Stabile family. He said he might move his cafe into retail space on the ground floor once a deal is done. But that will have to wait. “I don’t know development, I know cannolis,” he said.
