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Vincenzo Spallino sits by the front window of Caffe Italia, 1424 Snyder Ave., his eyes glued to the television screen where the Italian National soccer team is receiving medals from its nation’s president. The Italians have long been waiting to enjoy a celebration of this magnitude – since 1982 to be exact. (Of course, Phillies fans have been waiting since 1980 to see such a crowning moment.)
When Italy defeated France, 1-1 (5-3 on penalty kicks), in the July 9 World Cup final, the party spilled onto the streets of South Philadelphia. At Caffe Italia, a small sandwich-and-coffee shop, the 50 people watching the game on a 65-inch television on the second floor came running down the stairs and started popping open champagne bottles. A day later, the stains were still noticeable on the ceiling.
"Up until the end, I was kind of scared, but in the back of my mind I knew somehow they were going to win," Spallino, a native of Palermo, Italy, who now resides at 12th and Mifflin streets, said.
A few blocks down on Oregon Avenue, the horn honking could be heard throughout the neighborhoods.
Chief Inspector Bill Colarulo, a South Philadelphia native, was walking out of a graduation party at Scannicchio’s, 2500 S. Broad St., just as Italy won.
"I haven’t seen anything that rebellious since the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series," Colarulo said. "Broad and Oregon was literally a madhouse and it went on for a few hours. Everyone was smiling and honking their horns.
"Several old Italian men were cheering for their homeland. It was nice to see from a personal standpoint. If it can’t be the US, it’s nice to see Italy win the World Cup."
THROUGHOUT EUROPE, SOCCER generates the level of excitement comparable to that of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoons. "In Italy, people love soccer," Spallino, who has lived in South Philly for 40 years, said.
Caffe Italia, a hangout for Italian Americans, has been a popular spot to watch the games throughout the tournament.
Bernadette Irace, who helps run the restaurant with her family, said Sunday was the most hectic day ever.
"We started getting busy around 1 p.m. The whole upstairs was filled," she said. "It was really awesome. Thank God Italy won."
The family prepared a free buffet for guests, including hot roast pork sandwiches, hot-and-sweet sausage sandwiches, veggies and salads.
During the game, Irace asked her father Tony, who came over from Italy in 1963, "What are we going to do if Italy wins?" She ended up making a champagne run – and it came in very handy.
"As soon as Italy hit the last penalty kick, everybody came rushing downstairs," she said.
Every time Italy made a goal, the attentive spectators erupted in cheers. "It was so loud here when Italy scored, I thought they were going to come down from the ceiling," Irace said.
Sister Dina Irace, who admitted she hates soccer, still had an appreciation for the big win.
"It was my first World Cup working here and it was really exciting to see Italy go all the way," she said. "It was great for business and great for morale.
"If Italy didn’t win, I don’t know what it would’ve been like."
Both Italian and French soccer fans had to sweat this one out, as the two teams played 120 minutes in front of 69,000 people and that wasn’t enough time to declare a victor.
Zinedine Zidane scored the game’s first goal, giving France a 1-0 lead. Italy’s Marco Materazzi tied the game, 1-1, and the score remained throughout two overtime periods.
In the second overtime, Zidane butted Materazzi in the chest and was given a red card in the 110th minute, ejecting him and leaving France without its best player for penalty kicks. Italy made all five of theirs to win the game.
In South Philly, which hasn’t had a championship parade since 1983 when the Sixers won the NBA title, the honking and dancing provided a change of pace for a city that has waited more than two decades for a victory of this caliber.
"It was nice to have a championship here to celebrate," Dina said. "It was really exciting."
