By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer
BOSTON – Fifty-five years ago, 12-year-old Anthony Martignetti of Boston’s North End became the unlikely star of a television commercial that would prove so popular that it ran for an incredible 13 years. The young Italian immigrant is seen sprinting through the streets of the city as his mother beckons from the window of the family’s apartment on Powers Court. “Anthony! Anthony!” she famously shouted. It’s Wednesday and every Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day.
Chance discovery
While kids across America were perhaps more familiar with cans of Chef Boyardee and SpaghettiOs, those living in the New England area generally leaned towards Prince spaghetti for their pasta fare. Created by Sicilian immigrants in 1912, the brand was manufactured in the North End at 92 Prince Street. Martignetti’s young life changed after three men, who were looking for Commercial Street, approached him and his friends. His friends replied rudely but Martignetti politely obliged. The men turned out to be talent scouts searching for a location to film a pasta commercial and nonprofessionals to act in it. They were impressed by the boy’s behavior.
After being asked a few weeks later if he wanted to be on television and receiving parental consent to do so, the young son of a cemetery worker and seamstress was signed to star in the now iconic 1969 commercial. Although Martignetti never spoke a word in the ad, his smile said it all once he arrived home panting from his hotfooting. Playing the role of his mother was Mary Fiumara. who Martignetti had already known as a legend in the neighborhood. Following Fiumara’s death in 2016, Martignetti told the New York Times, “She was like my second mother. She was always looking out for me, and anytime I would see her on the streets, she said, ‘How you doing, Anthony, can I buy you an ice cream?’—even before the commercial.”
As for being asked for directions by the talent scouts on that fateful day, Martignetti later recalled that he and his friends knew the men were not from around their neighborhood by the way they were dressed and their long hair and, in those days, you were taught to “stay away from hippies because they’re going to kidnap you.”
The youngster was paid a flat fee of several hundred dollars, plus royalties, which amounted to some $20,000 for his part in the commercial. His brother Andy said that after the commercial Anthony would buy his friends ice cream and other treats with money earned from the small fortune that allowed him to have more fun growing up.
Later life
Upon graduating from St. Mary of the Annunciation High School in Cambridge, Martignetti worked for Polaroid camera company, stores and supermarkets until landing a job as an associate court officer for the Massachusetts Trial Court in Dedham. He once told The Boston Globe that he always understood the classic commercial was larger than him and what it meant to people, knowing that if little Anthony from the spaghetti commercial ever got into trouble it would be all over the paper.
Sadly, Anthony Martignetti would pass away at his home in West Roxbury four years following the death of Mary Fiumara. In 2020, people shared fond memories of Martignetti and the commercial on Facebook.
Danielle Swiniarski wrote:
“Still remember that commercial, brought back memories of childhood in West End visiting grandparents.”
Mary Lou Terminello McCabe shared:
“I remember him, best commercial evah.”
Martignetti’s wife, who was from the Dominican Republic and had never seen the commercial, told the Boston Globe that when they started dating, strangers would freak out whenever they saw him. Not understanding why he would allow strangers to hug him, Anthony simply explained to her, “They’ve known me for a long time.”
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