Food, family, fun at St. Rocco Feast & Festival

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They came from as far as Woonsocket, Westerly and even the state of Washington.

They even came from Quincy and Braintree, Mass. – by bus – and various parts of Connecticut.

They made up what someone suggested was a near-record crowd at last weekend’s St. Rocco Church Feast & Festival, which was truly an event for all ages

The family of John L. “Johnny” Ricci – the event’s energetic, 85-year-old co-chairman – had four generations represented. They enjoyed fantastic food and fellowship during the four-day event in Johnston.

“Was that amazing or what?” Ricci said while talking about the hundreds upon hundreds of people who flocked to the festival field behind the Atwood Avenue church. “The whole program was really great.”

Ricci, who has seen all types of weather and crowds since he first became involved with the event in 1953, went on: “And thank the good Lord we had good weather. It was perfect. No humidity, it wasn’t too hot. We had a heck of a weekend.”

The festivities were made possible, as Johnston Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Boehm said, “by a very well oiled machine of volunteers who have the perfect formula for serving all kinds of great food.” That menu included the gathering’s famed giant doughboys, which Ricci said were made using dough donated by Don DePetrillo of the

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