Pete Napolitano is not only New Jersey’s fruit and vegetable guru but also an authentic guy-next-door whom millions of viewers have come to know and love. Photo by Amanda Murphy

“Produce Pete” Napolitano may be America’s utmost expert on fruit and vegetables, an over 30-year veteran of NBC’s “Weekend Today in New York” TV show, a celebrated author and a sought-after spokesperson, but to friends and family, he’s just Pete. And truth be told, he’s more surprised than anyone at the celebrity status that’s befallen him.  

“If you asked me years ago, I can honestly say that I thought I’d be president of the United States before I’d ever be on TV,” said the 78-year-old lifelong Bergen County resident, who’s long been used to being recognized and greeted by fans wherever he goes. “When people take time out of their day to come over and say hello or take a picture, it’s the biggest compliment in the world,” he said, “especially for a guy like me.” 

Son of a produce peddler: Produce Pete at age 5. Photo courtesy of Pete Napolitano

Looking back, Napolitano joked that he’s lived something akin to two lives — the first as the hardworking son of a produce peddler and later the head of family business Napolitano’s Produce in Bergenfield through his mid-40s, and the second as “Produce Pete,” the fruit and vegetable guru and authentic guy-next-door whom millions of viewers have come to know and love ever since he was first “discovered” by a producer at WWOR-TV in the late 1980s. Since joining NBC’s “Weekend Today in New York” team in 1992, Napolitano has graced the homes of loyal fans throughout the New York metropolitan area every Saturday morning for more than three decades and secured his place as one of the longest-running segments in television history. He’s also endeared himself into fans’ hearts — not just for his extensive expertise on selecting, storing and preparing various produce items, but also for the nostalgic coming-of-age stories he shares and the comforting nod to simpler times that he represents. 

A Strong Work Ethic 

Growing up the son of an Italian immigrant father and an Irish mother in a post-World War II working-class household, “We were broke for most of my childhood and moved around a lot,” Napolitano said of living in Paterson, Englewood, Ridgefield Park and Tenafly before the family finally settled in Bergenfield in his early teens. 

“Among his many jobs, my father sold produce off the back of a truck, and I started peddling produce door-to-door with him at the age of 5,” Napolitano said. “Pop would fill the truck with seasonal items, drive through the streets, and my younger brother David and I would knock on a door, say, ‘Hey lady, want to buy a tomato?’ or whatever we were selling, and they’d come out to the truck to make their purchase.” While the demands on him to work left little time for him to be a kid, he credits much of his success on TV to the interpersonal and business skills he learned early on, including discipline, honesty and an ability to look people in the eye. 

Ever a family man, Napolitano’s studio and field segments have frequently featured Bette, his wife of over 55 years. Photo by Amanda Murphy

It was his entrepreneurial mother’s idea to establish a brick-and-mortar location for the family business — launched after she successfully sold several loads of watermelons from a roadside stand that she set up in a vacant lot in Bergenfield in the late 1950s — and, in 1959, they set up shop in a two-story building that housed Napolitano’s Produce on the ground floor and the Napolitano family in a small, three-bedroom apartment upstairs. 

Running the store — which was open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays — was a grueling family affair that involved setting up the store each morning with produce that Napolitano’s father purchased overnight at produce markets in Newark and New York City, tending to customers during open hours, then breaking down everything and refrigerating all perishables each night. 

“We worked every day before and after school and all weekend long during the year, and then full-time every summer,” Napolitano recalled of his younger years. “My brother and I were probably the only kids who never looked forward to the summer because for us it meant full workdays. But those were the times and that’s just what it was,” he said. 

In 1969-70, several years after he married Bette — his beloved wife of 55 years and counting — Napolitano took ownership of the family store, welcomed kids Peter and Cheryl, and settled into the challenges of life in the competitive and physically demanding produce industry, which often involved 20-hour work days that left little family or free time. 

That routine took a toll, and by the 1980s-90s, while Napolitano’s Produce had become a successful local institution, “I’d had enough and talked about retiring every year,” Napolitano said. 

As luck would have it, an unexpected and life-changing opportunity was about to present itself.  

Opportunity Knocks 

In early 1989, a producer for WWOR-TV approached Napolitano in his store and, over a period of several weeks, convinced him to come on their two-hour daily news show, “People are Talking,” to discuss a produce-related story that had made national headlines that winter — a Chilean grape scare following the reported discovery of cyanide in two Chilean grapes. 

With his matter-of-fact charm, Napolitano debunked the reports — later believed to have been a hoax — and viewer response to his knowledge, sincerity and authentic, plain-speaking style went through the roof. Given the name “Pete Your Produce Pal,” Napolitano continued to appear on weekly segments of various WWOR-TV daytime news programs for several years and was ultimately tapped to join NBC’s “Weekend Today in New York” team with a new moniker, “Produce Pete,” in September 1992. 

Produce Pete with NBC ‘Weekend Today in New York’ meteorologist Raphael Miranda and news anchors Pat Battle and Gus Rosendale. Photo courtesy of ‘Weekend Today in New York’

More than 30 years later, Napolitano’s three- to five-minute segments every Saturday morning feature a different seasonal item — from apples to zucchini and everything in between — and inform viewers of how to select the ripest produce, store it and prepare it (often aided by a dish Bette made showcasing that item). 

Ever a family man, Napolitano’s studio and field segments have frequently featured Bette, his grown children and his seven grandchildren. Taping many segments from home since the pandemic, viewers have also gotten a bird’s-eye view of Napolitano’s kitchen, living room and patio. 

“The format of my segments has changed a bit over the years,” Napolitano noted. “I used to come on and introduce a produce item, explain how to select it and then share a recipe, but now I lead with a personal story or memory from my life that relates to that produce item because I’ve found that it’s the stories that resonate with people so much,” he said. 

According to Napolitano, his viewership has also evolved. 

“In the past, my audience was largely women in their 50s to 70s, but today more and more of my viewers are women (and men) in their 20s and 30s who watch me while working out at home or in the gym on Saturday morning and are interested in eating healthy,” he said. “These viewers all work and don’t necessarily have the time or experience in the kitchen that previous generations did, so it’s new to them and they learn from cooking shows and segments like mine.” 

Man of the People 

Still drawing millions of viewers and high ratings every week, Napolitano has achieved a following and longevity rarely seen in the fast-paced and fickle world of broadcast television. 

“I think the secret to Pete’s longevity on TV is that he’s just like us,” said Napolitano’s longtime friend and colleague Pat Battle, co-anchor of NBC 4 New York “Weekend Today in New York.” “He’s a regular guy with a heart of gold who pops up on your TV every weekend, tells real-life stories and tries to get you to eat right so you can live right.” 

“Pete’s passion for and knowledge of his subject are obvious, but I also think it’s apparent that he’s a kind person,” added Gus Rosendale, co-anchor of NBC 4 New York’s “Weekend Today in New York,” of Napolitano’s appeal. “I think people like waking up to that in the morning.” 

Produce Pete’s new memoir, ‘They Call Me Produce Pete,’ is available everywhere books are sold and on Produce Pete’s website: producepete.com.

“The secret to Pete’s success and longevity on TV is simple — fans love Pete because he’s real,” added NBC 4 New York Meteorologist Raphael Miranda. 

 While he’s hobnobbed with many A-list celebrities, been spoofed by both Steve Carell on “The Daily Show” and Robert De Niro on “Saturday Night Live,” and even spoken at The Harvard Club, the humble Napolitano — whose popular new book, “They Call Me Produce Pete,” chronicles his life and memories through food — remains grateful for his fans and for what he describes as the “lucky break” that’s brought him full circle. 

 “I remember that, as a little kid growing up in a poor household and trying to sell tomatoes or apples door-to-door, you only had a few seconds before the homeowner shut the door in your face, so you had to be cute or funny,” he said. “I went for both, and could instantly see something in their face soften and connect with me on a human level. In many ways, being on TV has felt very natural for me because it’s been like going home to the place I started over 70 years ago.” 

 Fans agree that Napolitano himself is the ultimate comfort food. 

 “I love Produce Pete and have been watching him for over 20 years,” said longtime fan and Scotch Plains resident Karen Freedman. “He’s genuine and down to earth, speaks in plain language that everyone can understand, and I always learn something from him; I also love that he promotes local farms and businesses. In today’s world where there’s so much negativity, anger and violence, Produce Pete is one of the nicest things left on television,” she added. “He just makes me smile.” 

 “Produce Pete”-isms 

Following are some of Produce Pete’s favorite fruit and vegetable takeaways: 

•  When selecting oranges or grapefruits, choose fruits that feel “heavy in the hand” for their size, as that indicates that their interior is juicy and fresh. 
• Never refrigerate tomatoes, even after they’re ripe. “Refrigeration just kills their flavor, texture and nutrients,” he said. 
• Only wash certain fruits and vegetables — especially strawberries, raspberries, etc. — when you’re ready to eat them to prevent their breakdown. 

• “Support our farmers and buy local,” he advised. “They’re so important to the community, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.” 
• “Buy in season,” he recommended. “New Jersey produce tastes so good because it’s picked at maturity and consumed at its freshest.” Based on the laws of supply and demand, he added, “buying produce when it’s in season will guarantee that it tastes the best, is the most nutritious and is at its most affordable.” 
• Finally, eat your veggies. “If you eat right, you’re going to live right!” he said. 

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.