Local TV Grocer Peter Napolitano Dies

Peter "Produce Pete" Napolitano, who died on January 26, 2026, at the age of 80, was a third-generation grocer. His family's business, Napolitano's Produce, was a New Jersey institution for 53 years before closing its doors in 2006. He took over the family business in 1970 and passed it on to his son in 1997. His television career began in the late 1980s when a reporter for WWOR-TV discovered his on-camera appeal. In 1992, he started his regular segment on WNBC's "Weekend Today in New York," which would make him a household name in the tri-state area for over three decades. His practical advice was always delivered with his signature sign-off: "If you eat right, you're going to live right!" Napolitano grew up in the family business, starting at the age of five, helping his father, an Italian immigrant, sell produce door-to-door after World War II. The family opened their Bergenfield, New Jersey, store in 1959, living in an apartment upstairs. In addition to his television work, Napolitano was an author. He published "Produce Pete's Farmacopeia" and a 2023 memoir titled "They Call Me Produce Pete." He also co-wrote a cookbook with his wife, Bette, whom he met when he was 16. While his family did not release an official cause of death, it was reported that Napolitano had a heart condition and had undergone a triple bypass surgery in June 2025. He is survived by his wife Bette, two children, and seven grandchildren.