Produce Pete
Peter James Napolitano 'Jr., better known by the stage name Produce Pete and 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 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 advertising campaign.
Early life and family business
Napolitano was born into an Italian-American family in Englewood, New Jersey, on February 23, 1945, and was raised in Bergenfield. 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 1959, they opened a store, Napolitano's Produce, in Bergenfield.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 had 2 children and seven grandchildren. Bette frequently made appearances on Produce Pete segments.
Career
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, 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 and In the Kitchen with Bette & Produce PeteAs of 2011 he was a resident of Oakland, New Jersey; at the time of his death he lived in North Haledon.