A North End Cannoli Isn’t That Expensive

It was business as usual early this morning at Bova’s on Salem Street.

Just a few hours after the North End bakery suffered an alleged robbery, the employees were stocking the counter with beautiful pastries and serving customers. They were gracious and smiling without a hint that anything had been amiss a short time before.

Ralph Bova, who is one of the partners, said he wasn’t in the bakery at 3:05 a.m. when an Irish tourist – who police later identified as 25-year-old Robert McTernan – pulled out a 12-inch knife and demanded a cannoli.

“I left at 12:30 but got a phone call from the police at 4:30 a.m. and had to view the security tape for them,” Bova said. “It was absolutely shocking. We’re not accustomed to this.”

In fact, Bova said in the 85 years since his grandfather started the business, the bakery has never had a problem.

“We aim to serve our customers fresh baked goods made on site,” he said. “We don’t look for trouble.”

Thankfully, Bova said, no one was hurt.

“But his intentions were unknown,” he said in reference to McTernan. “He was a little intoxicated and had been in the bakery a few times before the incident.”

As he looks back, Bova remembers seeing McTernan coming in at about 1 a.m. with a few other people.

“He was with friends, eating pizza and was taking pictures of the bakery and counter,” Bova said. “At the time, I thought nothing of it but we now realize he was casing the place.”

The family-run bakery, open to the public 24 hours, is doing well today – despite the frightening early morning incident, Bova said.

“We’re all OK,” he said.  “I have a pretty good security system to protect my employees.”

And that’s the most important thing, Bova said.

“I’m much more worried about my employees than a cannoli.”