Like Matzo, This Gentile Is Now a Passover Staple – The New York Times

The recent question about what to do with a toaster oven on Pesach reminded me of this article about Queens City Councilman James Gennaro, a “chametz goy” who buys (or at least did back in 2005) chametz belonging to thousands of NYC Jews.

“It’s become this chametz empire,” Mr. Gennaro said before the ceremony. “I’m the yeast man. I’m like Mr. Fermentation.” … Later, the councilman took pains to stress that this was no fictional sale. “If you sell somebody the chametz,” he said, “he really owns it. I’m under no obligation to sell it back. Theoretically I could come claim it and use it.” Indeed, he did just that last year, accompanied by Rabbi Penner, who wanted to impress on his congregants the reality of the sale. “We went to someone’s house,” said Mr. Gennaro, “and we knocked on the door, and I said, ‘O.K., I’m here for the chametz.’ I selected a bottle of single-malt Scotch.”