Mickey Napolitano, (L) With His Son Caesar in the Middle and His Grandson, Carmine, on the Far Right Today on the Eastern Promenade on Munjoy Hill.
A Buffet of Snacks Was Also Available for the Munching at the Party This Afternoon.
It was a perfect day for an outdoor birthday party.. And that’s exactly what the large Napolitano family did today. About 30 grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and family friends gathered to celebrate the third birthday of Carmine in grand style on the Eastern Promenade this afternoon..
With the unusually warm temperatures and sunshine there was a water slide, small pool, arts and crafts table and plenty more to capture the attention of the younger set of this large family. .
For others interested in snacking, their needs were well met by the buffet table full of delicisous goodies nearby. And all with very good reason. Because John Napolitano who attended today’s birthday party. was the owner of the iconic Village Cafe. It was a family Italian Restaurant that seated 550 people and ran for 71 years – from 1936 until 2007. It was one of the few restaurants in the Old Port at the time. The Village Cafe was located across Hancock Street from the Shipyard Brewing Company – in a space now located by condominiums – now called The Village at Ocean Gate.
The sale of this iconic restaurant was a turning point in the development of Munjoy HIll because it opened the gates to the construction of other condomiiums in the area.
What a very great story my niece is the mother Nicole she is married to Caesar I knew at one point there was a connection with Maria restaurant on Cumberland Avenue that’s when I was a teenager my Dad used to play music in Maria’s for entertainment at night he was country and western one of the best steel guitar players in the state of Maine I was totally unaware of the families connection to the Village Cafe one of my favorite restaurants and everyone else in the city of Portland and anyone that ever attended the village for lunch or dinner thanks for such a great story Tim