In Naples, we have a lot of superstitious rituals. We carry the cornicello, a little horn that is a popular gift and we use as a lucky charm. On New Year’s Eve, people throw old objects out of the window. I remember walking in the streets on the first of January, and seeing the most random things on the floor, even whole bathtubs thrown out. We have our classic foods to welcome the new year like zampone and cotechino (traditional pork sausages), dried fruits and nuts, and, of course, capitone e baccalà (fried eel and cod). You can’t call yourself a real Neapolitan if these items are missing from your table.
Ciro Iovine and his wife Austria
While I am Catholic and have a very strong faith, I do have some superstitions that I carry on. Sometimes I make the “salt ritual” in my restaurant against the evil eye, as I believe that people can give you negative energy when you are successful. In Naples we say “l’uocchie sicche so’ peggio d”e scuppettate” which means “the evil eye is worse than gunshots”. On San Gennaro, I went a bit overboard and brought 5 kilos of salt blessed by priests, and was throwing it at the entrance every couple of hours. People were looking at me as if I were crazy! I also throw things out on New Year's to makes place for the new (not from my window though). I do carry the cornicello when the Napoli soccer team plays, and still hold on to the original jersey of when Maradona played. When the famous soccer player Bobo Vieri came to the restaurant he couldn’t believe it, he did an Instagram story about it that brought me a lot of new clients. Maradona, after all, is a bit like San Gennaro for us.
The Song' E Napule pizza
I always bring the spirit in my hometown to New York–during the holidays and all year around. Many would tell you that entering my restaurant is like passing immigration; you are officially in Naples. The food brings the taste of my country, made with the best ingredients, from the imported tomatoes to an amazing salt from Trapani, Sicily, that I recently discovered and gives my dishes an amazing finishing touch. But my guests also look forward to our hospitality, we Italians from the South are known to give love and warmth with our food. This was what I learned from my parents, to be authentic and have a good heart. We were a family of eight kids, living in a small apartment, but we were so happy, every Sunday was like Christmas with uncles and grandparents coming by. Other places in New York where I find an atmosphere that makes me feel at home are La Piccola Cucina, in particular at their Estiatorio fish restaurant, and at pizzeria San Matteo, where I worked alongside my mentor Ciro Casella, before opening my place.
Song' E Napule
The only day I closed the restaurant was on Christmas, and I spent the holidays in New York with my wife, four kids and the restaurants staff, which I consider my extended family. My right hand is from Nepal and he is like a brother to me. He has been working at the restaurant for four years and feels like he is a true Neapolitan. I wanted him and the team to experience a real Italian feast, with paranza (fried small fish), spaghetti with clams, and the minestra maritata, the wedding soup, a delicious and healthy dish served at Christmas lunch, and many other delicacies. For New Year’s Eve we have been fully booked for two months, some people called from Italy to make reservations. My dream is to one day have a bigger space to share more of the amazing Neapolitan culture. I would extend the menu with dishes that my mother and grandmother prepared, experiment with old traditional recipes, and bring musicians and comedians to host a game of tombola napolitana, a version of bingo that is truly hilarious.
As told to Carole Hallac
Ciro Iovine
Ciro Iovine's Portrait
Ciro Iovine, a self-proclaimed dreamer and a real self-made man, is the owner of Song’ E Napule, a beloved pizzeria on New York West Houston Street, which is the border between Greenwich Village and Soho. A pizza chef since he was 13 years old, Ciro’s craft took him around the world. Three years after moving to New York, he met his wife Austria Maldonado, and with her help and his brother Giovanni, he opened Song E’ Napule in 2015, bringing traditional Neapolitan cuisine and atmosphere to the city and making his dream come true. With three kids and one on the way, Ciro is a dedicated father and husband.