Holiday Figurines, A Mahopac Man’s Passion
Anthony Perruzzi of Mahopac is a collector. He collects albums and sports memorabilia. But his love of collecting started in 1977 when, while away overseas in the Navy, he got his first 13 pieces of a nativity scene made by Fontanini®.
“When I was in the service back in 1977, at 17 years old, I spent a lot of Christmas’ away from home because I was overseas and that broke my heart,” recalled Perruzzi. “I bought my original 13 pieces from a Catholic goods store downstairs from Mount Carmel Church on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to have a piece of home with me while I was away for the holidays.”
After getting the pieces, Perruzzi noticed that the collection came with a checklist of other items that were available. He was hooked.
Fontanini® creates nativity scenes and figurines that are painted by villagers in a small town in Italy called Bagni di Lucca. Every year the company comes out with a couple of pieces to add to the collection.
This year Perruzzi, who is a retired Yonkers police officer, bought a figurine of a glassblower to add to his more than 1,000 piece collection.
“My wife, Rosanne, thinks I am nuts,” said Perruzzi, “but I love it.”
Every year during the holiday season, Perruzzi meticulously lays out his collection, which includes artist-signed pieces and many expired pieces, in his man-cave in the lower level of his home.
“Every piece is laid out by hand,” said Perruzzi, who is so detail-oriented that he makes sure that the entire village scene makes sense. “The gold goes by the kings’ tents, the potter gets the pots, I even layout every rug that the rug maker has to make sure that similar color rugs do no lay near one another,” he said.
One piece that Perruzzi has that many collectors lack is the Fontanini sign. “When the guy who signed the pieces heard that I had this kind of set up he gave me the sign,” said Perruzzi.
In addition, Perruzzi will purchase additional garnishments to complete the look.
“I go to A.C. Moore, the craft store, and whatever I feel needs to be addressed such as fruit or bread, I go down the miniaturize doll house aisle and I pick up whatever I feel is needed.”
While his wife may look on and shake her head, Perruzzi’s son, Joseph, 24, and daughter Donna, 19, eagerly help out.
“They love it,” said Perruzzi. “During Christmas time they help me pull all of the boxes out. They help me lay it out. I am a stickler about certain things. Every house has to get a broom.”
Perruzzi, who is a member of the Mahopac Italian American Club, has kept his collection within the walls of his home, so few people have actually seen the collection.
“I do this because I love it, I never thought about the community seeing it,” said Perruzzi. “I would be willing to do a public display though at like town hall or something if they wanted me to do it.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.