'Produce Pete,' who taught millions to pick perfect fruits and vegetables, dies at 80

A beloved television personality who spent decades teaching viewers how to pick everything from the perfect pineapple to the juiciest tomatoes, drawing on lessons passed down from his Italian immigrant family, has died, according to reports.

Peter Napolitano, the New York-area TV personality known as "Produce Pete," died Jan. 26 at the age of 80 at a hospital in Paramus, New Jersey, his son confirmed to The New York Times. A cause of death was not specified.

For more than 30 years, Napolitano appeared on WNBC's "Weekend Today in New York," delivering weekly segments built upon advice he learned from nearly a lifetime spent in the business.

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Born on Feb. 23, 1945, in Englewood, New Jersey, Napolitano grew up immersed in the produce trade. His father, an Italian immigrant and one of 20 children, started the family business. Napolitano began selling fruits and vegetables door to door with his dad at just 5 years old, according to the Times.

"I come from immigrant people," Napolitano said during a 2025 appearance on the TODAY Show. "My father came here from Italy. No education, no nothing. And then, you know, I got lucky 35 years ago when someone was in my store and put me on a local show."

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By the mid-1950s, the family was selling watermelons out of an empty lot in Bergenfield, New Jersey, before opening Napolitano's Produce in 1959. Napolitano eventually took over the store in 1970 and ran it for decades, building it into a regional destination for fresh fruits and vegetables.

His television career began in 1989, when he was invited to discuss concerns about contaminated Chilean grapes on a local New York talk show. The appearance led to regular on-air segments and, eventually, his long-running role at WNBC starting in 1992, where he became known simply as "Produce Pete," a moniker he proudly embraced, NBC 4 New York reported.

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Napolitano emphasized simple rules for quality produce, advising viewers to choose fruits and vegetables that felt "heavy in the hand" and encouraging shoppers to embrace oddly shaped items, which he often said packed the most flavor. He told viewers to look for a deep golden color in pineapples as a sign of ripeness and taught them to lift pumpkins from the bottom, so the stems wouldn't break.

Napolitano's popularity extended well beyond local television. He was parodied on "The Daily Show," praised by comedian Tina Fey - who once told him, "You're my Beyoncé" - and even recognized by actor Harrison Ford, according to the Times.

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He also wrote several books, including "Produce Pete's Farmacopeia," a guide to choosing and preparing fruits and vegetables, and an autobiography published in 2023.

Napolitano retired from running the family store in the late 1990s but continued working in the produce industry as a broker and buyer while maintaining his television presence.

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NBC 4 New York remembered Napolitano as a beloved member of its station family, highlighting not just his practical advice but also the personal stories he shared about his upbringing and family.

Napolitano is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Bette" Napolitano, two children, seven grandchildren and several siblings, according to reports.

He famously signed off his segments with a message that also sums up his legacy: "If you eat right, you're going to live right."