The famous orange ferry "John F. Kennedy", which since 1965 has linked the two districts of New York, was sold by the city to Paul Italia, real estate agent at the head of the comedy club "The Stand" in Manhattan, associated with comedians of the cult NBC show "Saturday Night Live", Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, confirmed Mr. Italia to AFP.
The New York Times unveiled the operation earlier on Friday.
Pete Davidson is reportedly the boyfriend of reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, and Colin Jost is married to movie superstar Scarlett Johansson.
Both men are from Staten Island, one of New York's five boroughs, south of Manhattan Island, and Pete Davidson still lives there.
Comedian Colin Jost and his wife, actress Scarlett Johansson, at a film festival in Beverly Hills, November 18, 2021 Matt Winkelmeyer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
According to the administrative services of the municipality which sold it, the “iconic John F. Kennedy” – 85 meters long, 2,100 tons and withdrawn from the fleet in August for out of service engines – went to auction at 280,100 dollars for a starting price of 125,000 dollars.
Paul Italia wants "to make it a living performance space with stand-up, music, art and the possibility of eating out", but he does not say how to tow the huge orange ship and dock it permanently at dock.
Why did you buy such a ferry, whose free connection is known to all New Yorkers and which was promised to be scrapped?
Because "each of us really wants (...) to save part (of the heritage) of New York", justified in the New York Times Paul Italia.
Comedian and comedian Pete Davidson photographed at a festival in Los Angeles on December 6, 2021 KEVIN WINTER GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
And according to the businessman, the ship "John F. Kennedy holds a special place in the hearts" of his two partners Davidson and Jost, "natives of Staten Island".
© 2022 AFP