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The officials in charge of the Mummers Parade recently took a detour from the event’s South Philadelphia roots, but the South Philly Vikings continue to be one of the driving forces in reclaiming one of the area’s oldest traditions.
The South Philly Vikings originated in 1986 after the South Philly Comics merged with the Viking Fancy Brigade, with Carmen D’Amato taking over as the first captain of the newly-formed unit. Since their formation, the 1815-S.-11th Street-based Mummers brigade has perennially won first prize in its division and appeared numerous times as a Readers’ Choice victor.
Pete D’Amato has held the captaincy since 2002 and sees his role as an honor to carry on a family tradition.
“It’s great; we have family history of over 100 years in the parade on my mother’s side,” he said. “For my brother to do what he does then pass it on to me. Now I have all my nieces, nephews, and cousins involved. I have so many family members, and my [13-year-old] son is about to be in, so it’s great.”
With the amount of family ties associated within the Vikings, their camaraderie shows through their recent success as the brigade captured the first prize in ’15 for “Day of the Avatar-Master of The Elements” and back to back wins in ’12 and ’13 for “Kalightoscope- Harness The Power of The Spectrum” and “R U Game?” respectively.
The Vikings will look to continue their winning ways, as Pete D’Amato attributes the fancy brigades’ bright future to his surrounding members.
“We have a good team, and that’s what it all comes down to. We have a bunch of good members that have special qualities that fit well,” he said.
The Jesters looked jovial in second place, while the Shooting Stars rose to prominence in third.
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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