STATEN ISLAND, NY — If you are driving through Port Richmond this Christmas, don’t be shocked to see Papa Noel bringing gifts, magic and joy to families.
For the past 30 years, Charles DeStefano has dressed as Santa Claus and brought toys to North Shore children, focusing on sharing the joy of Christmas with the community he loves. These days he can be found stationed outside Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-St. Benedicta-St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church on Castleton Ave., meeting hundreds of children, but the act of kindness started much smaller.
DeStefano, a Staten Island attorney who specializes in personal injury cases, began the tradition not in a church, but in a 1964 Cadillac.
“I really wanted to give back to the people who represent the backbone of our community. So, I drove through Port Richmond in my 1964 Cadillac with hundreds of toys and things and just threw them out the window,” the Lighthouse Hill resident shared. “Random people came out and kids and their parents wanted to take pictures of me. It felt good.”
As his love for the community grew, DeStefano knew he had to come up with a better plan. In order to support more families, he contacted a local church. While originally skeptical about his authenticity and commitment, the pastor and parish coordinator put together a list of about 20 families, and with the help of family and friends, DeStefano was able to visit homes every Dec. 25, and supply clothing, toys and religious tokens.
One thing that makes DeStefano’s visits special is that he is bilingual, and can speak fluent Spanish.
“It’s very important to communicate in their language. It shows respect, and it shows humility,” he stated. “That’s my law firm’s slogan, ‘Soy el abogado que habla su idioma’ which in Spanish, means the lawyer that speaks your language.”
This level of connection has given him the title “Papá Noel.”
A friend in giving
For nearly 20 years, DeStefano was joined by a friend, James Mastrangelo, whom he met while working at the Shalimar Catering Hall prior to opening his law firm. Known by his friends as “Lil Jimmy,” Mastrangelo would dress as an elf and go on the Christmas day journey.
Personal injury lawyer Charles DeStefano has spent 30 years giving gifts to families in Port Richmond, using his Spanish fluency to connect with the community. For nearly twenty years, he was joined by James Mastrangelo, who dressed as an elf.Courtesy of Charles DeStefano
The pair’s Christmas journeys weren’t always smooth sailing, including narrowly avoiding a dog attack while visiting a small apartment building.
“I opened the interior door, and I was met by two pit bulls crouched down in an attack position,” DeStefano shared with a laugh. “There I was like a famous bullfighter, holding this massive bag in front of me to protect me. Jimmy says ‘We got to get the heck out of here!’”
Sadly, in 2015, Mastrangelo, who had become an iconic New York figure through his live entertainment and dancing, died at the age of 67.
The tradition survives
After that, DeStefano wanted to find a more stationary location for his event. With the closure of the original church he was partnered with, the lawyer began working with Our Lady of Mt Carmel-St Benedicta – St Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church. There, every year, after being blessed by the priest, he hands out gifts and candy canes to the parish families.
To him, the tradition is more than just about giving gifts — it’s about the true meaning of the holiday.
“I can only describe this feeling as happy and spiritual and really celebrating Christ’s life,” he said. “You know that old adage, it’s better to give them receive. It’s used so often, but there is really tremendous amount of truth to that. This has made my Christmas sincerely and genuinely a celebration of the birth of Christ, who would have done the same thing if he was alive. He would be supportive of that.”
‘Saying thank you to the whole community’
Throughout the years DeStefano was supported by his sister, Rosalyn Schianodicola of Richmond, who would make baskets for families or donate money to help his yearly gift shopping trip in Manhattan. While she has never gone with him on Christmas day, she admires his dedication and loves being able to contribute.
“When he started years ago, he didn’t really tell anybody what he was doing. He told us after the fact, and it was just so typical of him, nobody was surprised, because he’s been doing things like this since he’s a young kid and a young teenager,” Schianodicola shared. “We were just inspired by him. He’s just so kind and generous and fun loving.”
DeStefano’s wife and children have also become a part of the tradition.
“My wife, Ana, has always been deeply supportive. She makes sure that my sons and I are dressed in the appropriate North Pole attire and well fed with toasted Panettone and fresh hot coffee before we get in our sleigh to make our way to Port Richmond,” DeStefano shared.
In the past 10 years, his sons, Matteo and Joseph, have begun dressing as elves and supporting Papa Noel at his table outside the Port Richmond parish. He hopes to continue this tradition for many years to come, and hopes to instill the same level of respect and love he has for the community in others.
“Why do I do it? Because these are the people that cook your food in restaurants, that drive your taxis, that take care of your grandparents if they’re in a nursing home, that wash your car, cut your lawn and build your houses, and that’s why do it, because those people deserve acknowledgement,” DeStefano said. “And this is my way of saying thank you to the whole community.”