A raucous celebration of Italian-American culture
- Text by Sean Martin
- Photography by Sean Martin
Although I now spend my days baking in the hot sun in Southern California, surrounded by beachside bungalows and palm trees, my heart yearns for the raw jagged coastline of New England.
As a native of Gloucester Massachusetts, I felt it was time to travel east and photograph an annual event that is fundamental to the city’s cultural identity. Every summer for the past 91 years, Gloucester has honoured its Italian heritage with Saint Peter’s Fiesta – a weeklong celebration of drinking, carnival games and sports.
The premiere event of Fiesta is a competition called the Greasy Pole. An invited group of Italian-American men from the city’s prominent fishing families compete by running across a horizontal pole covered in grease, suspended over Gloucester Harbour. The objective is to grab an Italian flag hanging at the end without breaking bones or drowning. The runners are all fueled by drunken courage and the first man to grab the flag in each heat wins. The winners are carried ashore as the crowd cries out “Viva San Pietro!”
Gloucester is a historic maritime city on Cape Ann Massachusetts. The area was settled in the early 17th century by English farmers, quarrymen and outcasts living on the edge of civilisation. As the Industrial Revolution began to take hold, Italian immigrants migrated to Gloucester to man the growing commercial fishing industry that was now feeding people across the country.
To this day, many of those same Italian-American families control the Gloucester fishing industry and they are all fiercely proud of their cultural heritage. It is the sons of these families who compete in the Fiesta games.
See more of Sean Martin’s work on his official website, or follow him on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
From his skating past to sculpting present, Arran Gregory revels in the organic
Sensing Earth Space — Having risen to prominence as an affiliate of Wayward Gallery and Slam City Skates, the shredder turned artist creates unique, temporal pieces out of earthly materials. Dorrell Merritt caught up with him to find out more about his creative process.
Written by: Dorrell Merritt
In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive
Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.
Written by: Fred Dodgson
This new photobook celebrates the long history of queer photography
Calling the Shots — Curated by Zorian Clayton, it features the work of several groundbreaking artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Sunil Gupta, Zanele Muholi and more.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Krept & Konan: “Being tough is indoctrinated into us”
Daddy Issues — In the latest from our interview column exploring fatherhood and masculinity, UK rap’s most successful double act reflect on loss, being vulnerable in their music, and how having a daughter has got Krept doing things he’d never have imagined.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian
Vibrant polaroids of New York’s ’80s party scene
Camera Girl — After stumbling across a newspaper advert in 1980, Sharon Smith became one of the city’s most prolific nightlife photographers. Her new book revisits the array of stars and characters who frequented its most legendary clubs.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Bad Bunny: “People don’t know basic things about our country”
Reggaeton & Resistance — Topping the charts to kick off 2025, the Latin superstar is using his platform and music to spotlight the Puerto Rican cause on the global stage.
Written by: Catherine Jones