Rhode Island man's nativity scene features more than 400 pieces

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A Rhode Island man said his nativity scene with more than 400 pieces has been in the works for nearly 50 years.

Eugenio "Geno" Milano, 80, who is originally from Italy and moved to Providence 40 years ago, said setting up an annual nativity scene is a tradition passed down from his father.

"All of this tradition was left to me by my father, and I remember when my father was doing it when I was four years old," Milano told WJAR-TV. "I started in 1975 and every year was a little bit different."

Milano said he originally set up his scene on the third floor of his home, but it grew too large and moved to the ground floor, where it started to take over the house.

"As we got older, this got bigger, and it would cover our living room set," Milano's daughter, Cinzia Pereira, said. "There would be nowhere to sit, and we wanted a Christmas tree at that time, so he decided to move it outdoors."

Milano erected a Plexiglass shed outside his home so the scene could be visible to the public without being in danger from the weather.

"Every year it's different, he changes it up. He'll take some pieces out and put new pieces in," said Pereira, who chronicles her father's scene-setting activities on a Facebook page. "He will go out there no matter what. He does not realize he's 80, he's got that Peter Pan Syndrome. We tell him he's 80 and he's like 'Nah, nah, I'm good."'

Milano said his scene now has more than 400 pieces. He said he is very selective about what goes into his nativity display.

"All the house, I built it, but the statue, they come in strictly from Italy," he said. "When I find something I know belongs in there, I pick it up right away."

Milano said he is happy to be able to share his hobby with the public.

"I'm happy I'm making people happy, because I got a lot of people coming around and they come in and see inside and they enjoy it, because they never see something in a private property like that," he said. "I take it down Jan. 6, because in Italy we celebrate the Epiphany."