From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
|
 |
|||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
|
| caption = |
| caption = |
||
|
| birth_name = Peter Napolitano |
| birth_name = Peter Napolitano |
||
|
| birth_date |
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|2|23}} |
||
|
| birth_place = [[Bergenfield, New Jersey]], |
| birth_place = [[Bergenfield, New Jersey]], |
||
|
| death_date = 2026 |
| death_date = 2026 |
||
|
| death_place = |
| death_place = |
||
|
| other_names = Produce Pete |
| other_names = Produce Pete |
||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
|
}} |
}} |
||
|
”’Peter Napolitano”’ (February 23, 1945 – January 2026<ref>[http://www.producepete.com Profile], producepete.com; accessed August 12, 2016.</ref> |
”’Peter Napolitano”’ (February 23, 1945 – January 2026<ref>[http://www.producepete.com Profile], producepete.com; accessed August 12, 2016.</ref> better known by the stage name ”’Produce Pete”’ (sometimes referred to as ”’Pete Your Produce Pal”’), was an American grocer, chef, and celebrity spokesperson who was perhaps best known for his weekly fruit and vegetable segments which appeared on [[WNBC]] in New York City for 33 years<ref name=33yearsanddies>{{cite news|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/news/local-media-fixture-produce-pete-napolitano-dies-at-age-80/|title=Local Media Fixture ‘Produce Pete’ Napolitano Dies at Age 80|first=Julie|last=Gordon|publisher=New Jersey Monthly|date=January 26, 2026|accessdate=January 26, 2026}}</ref> and [[WCAU]] in [[Philadelphia]]. |
||
|
Napolitano had appeared in commercials and at special events for the now defunct [[A&P]]-owned supermarket chain [[Pathmark]] since 2001, although he never appeared in Pathmark’s post-2010 bankruptcy ad campaign.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/user/BetterShopping Better Shopping</ref> |
Napolitano had appeared in commercials and at special events for the now defunct [[A&P]]-owned supermarket chain [[Pathmark]] since 2001, although he never appeared in Pathmark’s post-2010 bankruptcy ad campaign.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/user/BetterShopping Better Shopping</ref> |
||
| Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
|
{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
||
|
==External |
==External == |
||
|
*{{IMDb name| 12090104}} |
*{{IMDb name| 12090104}} |
||
|
{{The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company}} |
{{The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company}} |
||
|
{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
||
Latest revision as of 20:55, 27 January 2026
American grocer (1945–2026)
 |
This article needs to be updated. (March 2025) |
|
Produce Pete |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Peter Napolitano February 23, 1945 |
| Died | January 2026 (aged 80) |
| Other names | Produce Pete |
| Occupations | Grocer, chef, television personality |
Peter Napolitano (February 23, 1945 – January 2026)[1], better known by the stage name Produce Pete (sometimes referred to as Pete Your Produce Pal), was an American grocer, chef, and celebrity spokesperson who was perhaps best known for his weekly fruit and vegetable segments which appeared on WNBC in New York City for 33 years[2] and WCAU in Philadelphia.
Napolitano had appeared in commercials and at special events for the now defunct A&P-owned supermarket chain Pathmark since 2001, although he never appeared in Pathmark’s post-2010 bankruptcy ad campaign.[3]
Early life and family business
[edit]
Napolitano was born into an Italian-American family in Englewood, New Jersey. In 1953, as a young boy, he began selling fruits and vegetables at the neighborhood farmer’s market which was owned by his family.
In 1970 Napolitano took ownership of the business and ran it as a seasonal operation, often selling items beyond his line of produce, geared towards upcoming holidays and celebrations. In 1997 he turned the business over to his son, Peter Charles Napolitano. Napolitano Produce closed in 2006 after serving the Bergen County, New Jersey community for 53 years.
Pete met his wife, Bette, when he was 16 years old and she was 14. In 1967 they married. Pete and Bette have 2 children and seven grandchildren. Bette frequently made appearances on Produce Pete segments.
Napolitano hosted numerous produce, food, and nutrition-themed television segments since the late 1980s. The author of Produce Pete’s Farmacopeia: From Apples to Zucchini, and Everything in Between (1994, republished in 2001), he published numerous recipes and tips pertaining to picking, buying, and cooking produce. In 2000, he also worked as a buyer for S. Katzman Produce at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, New York. He also taught cooking classes for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, among other chains. Produce Pete’s books include They Call Me Produce Pete ( published 2023) and In the Kitchen with Bette & Produce Pete (published 2024)
He was a resident of North Haledon, New Jersey.[4]
Napolitano’s television segments have been parodied by actor and comedian Steve Carell on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[5]
On Monday, January 26, 2026, it was revealed that Napolitano had died.[6][2]
- ^ Profile, producepete.com; accessed August 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Gordon, Julie (January 26, 2026). “Local Media Fixture ‘Produce Pete’ Napolitano Dies at Age 80”. New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/user/BetterShopping Better Shopping
- ^ Bloom, Susan. “Growth Stock: Produce Pete explains why Jersey produce beats all.”, New Jersey Monthly, March 14, 2011. Accessed September 12, 2015. “The Jersey born and raised fruit-and-vegetable guru affectionately known as Produce Pete is as authentic as his Bergen County roots and the Garden State produce he proudly promotes…. Though officially retired from the grueling 20-hour workdays of his retail operation, the 75 year-old North Haledon resident still relishes the opportunity to help people navigate their local produce aisle or farmer’s market.”
- ^ The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Produce Pete with Steve Carell – Cider, thedailyshow.com, February 23, 2004.
- ^ “‘Produce Pete,’ a weekend mainstay on NBC New York for more than 30 years, dies at 80″. NBC New York. January 26, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
