Call him ‘McMeras’: Star Confectionery owner named grand marshal of this year’s Jamesport St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Star Confectionery owner Anthony Meras put on his green jacket and black top hat today for the first time, and they were a perfect fit.

“I’m McMeras for the month,” the Greek-American Main Street luncheonette owner said with a laugh.

Meras will be honored as the grand marshal of the Jamesport St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year. The parade, hosted by the East End Emerald Society, is scheduled for Saturday, March 15. He will be joined by grand marshal aides James and Patricia Mangiacapre, the owners of The Watershed Kitchen and Inn in South Jamesport. 

Meras, 58, is the third-generation proprietor of the iconic Main Street luncheonette — known locally as Papa Nick’s — and a lifelong Riverhead resident. He started working at the restaurant in 1991, and took over the business from his uncle, Peter, and parents, Tony and Kitty.

You can find Meras most days at the restaurant’s grill, cooking up breakfast and lunch for his customers, or crafting Papa Nick’s homemade ice cream and holiday chocolates. 

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s amazing. I’m super-excited,” Meras said of his selection as grand marshal. “I told them it’s gonna be one of the longest parades — I’m gonna have to hug and kiss and talk with everybody, so it might end up being a long day.” 

He hopes he can help bring extra eyes to the parade and the East End Emerald Society’s annual fundraiser. “I’m really excited to help the Emerald Society as much as I can,” he said. 

Meras does is not of Irish descent. His kids have Irish ancestry and he has a lot of Irish-American friends. “So that’s got to count for something,” he said.

Emerald Society member Kevin Carrick said choosing Meras as grand marshal was a “unanimous decision” by the group. “This was, I think, a good pick — giving back to somebody that gives back to the local community,” he said.

Restaurateurs James and Patricia Mangiacapre also said they’re honored and excited to be chosen as aides to Grand Marshal Meras.

“It’s been a great five years just being a part of the community and growing into it with the business,” Patricia Mangiacapre said. “So it’s an honor just to see that the community actually embraced us as much as we embraced the community.” 

The East End Emerald Society’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1 p.m. on Main Road at Washington Avenue March 15 and ends at the Jamesport Fire Department headquarters on Manor Lane. Groups can register to march in the parade by completing the form on the East End Emerald Society’s website.

The annual fundraiser ball, to raise money for the parade, will be held at The Vineyards at Aquebogue on Feb. 28. 

The East End Emerald Society founded the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Jamesport in 2014 — the first of its kind held in the Town of Riverhead. Irish is the top self-reported ancestry of Town of Riverhead residents, second only to those who chose “other,” according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data analysis available.