Nick DeSilvio took home the “Schnackie Award” this week when
he devoured nine mini-hamburgers in six minutes, beating out his fellow
longshoreman at the first-ever hamburger-eating contest on the Red Hook
waterfront.
The 23-year-old Bensonhurst native and eating contest rookie said he prepared
for the big day by not eating breakfast.
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” said DeSilvio, who beat
out co-worker Danny Drew by just one bite.
Drew, who lives on Staten Island, fessed up to eating a bagel with cream
cheese for breakfast and feared that might have been his downfall.
Chef Harry Hawk, who co-owns Schnack restaurant on Union Street off Columbia
Street, provided 100 of his 99-cent Schnackie burgers, sometimes referred
to as “sliders,” for the contest, which kicked off at high noon
on May 7 at the Red Hook Container Port at Pier 9 off Columbia Street.
Surrounded by cranes, top loaders and a container ship, DeSilvio said
he “felt a little full” but would be able to return to work.
American Stevedoring, which operates the container terminal, organized
the event. The company is still negotiating to renew its lease for the
100-acre facility with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and
the city Economic Development Corp.
DeSilvio took home a $200 Schnack gift certificate and said he planned
on using it to order lunch for everybody.
