Italian tall ship Amerigo Vespucci, named after the famed explorer who first named the American continent, is part of the patriotic nautical procession.
Italian military training ship Amerigo Vespucci navigates near the Statue of Liberty. REUTERS
The ship was first built in the 1930s by Benito Mussolini as a training ship and it survived WWII.
David Winkler, a historian from the National Maritime Historical Society, told The Post that the vessel is known for their culinary expertise.
“The Amerigo Vespucci is just the creme de la creme!” Winkler said.
“I was on the Suribachi, about 1982, we actually pulled into a Port in Sicily, and pulled alongside the Amerigo Vespucci, and they invited us over for dinner, and, oh, my goodness.
The ship was first built in the 1930s by Benito Mussolini as a training ship and it survived WWII. AFP via Getty Images
“All the wine, the spaghetti, the different types of fishes, the Chianti, and desserts.”
Winkler said the captain said, “’well, we need to have them over for dinner.’ And we’re all looking at each other, like, ‘what are we’re gonna serve these guys?’”
In the US Navy, you can’t serve alcohol, WInkler said.
“But the chefs said, ‘we’ll have to do a Bake Alaska.’ All we could get our hands on was a bottle of grain alcohol, and we said, ‘OK, let’s soak the thing with the grain alcohol, and then we’ll light it off,’” he added.
A crew member climbs along the stern of the Italian ship Amerigo Vespucci near Sandy Hook, New Jersey. REUTERS
“So I was walking towards the wardrobe when they lit this thing off,” he joked, “and I just saw a flash, and, let’s just say, it did not go well for the United States that night.”