Exclusive | Fuhgeddaboudit! Guido on a Ledge has Italian-Americans fist pumping over SI mom’s Elf on Shelf makeover

Everyone’s going to feel like a total hero this holiday season.

Sure, you’ve likely heard about the classic Elf on the Shelf, but there’s a new player on the scene called Guido on a Ledge—a plush figure that shows up in a tank top, shades, flip‑flops, with a full beard and a lucky horn.

Creator Christine Fiscardi Lentinello—born in Red Hook, Brooklyn and now living in Staten Island—has discovered a winning recipe of nostalgia for many Italian‑American families.

“They’re so pumped,” Lentinello, 54, told The Post. “People are like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing. It’s my uncle. It’s my neighbor. It’s my father.’”

Some kids even give it new names—“His new name is Vito” to honor an uncle, or “We’re getting Luigi and Peppino,” one shared her kids’ excited shout.

While it’s a light‑hearted nod to Elf on the Shelf—the tradition where parents shelve a toy each day to send the mood checks to Santa—Lentinello says Guido on a Ledge’s mission is simple: “just want to hang out and eat with you.”

Lentinello first offered the $30 plushies in 2023 to friends and family, relying on word‑of‑mouth, her Instagram, TikTok, and local holiday markets. She’s now shipped more than 600 figures—some even all the way out to Texas.

“Some people think it’s not real, which is hilarious to me,” she chuckled.

Followers frequently post pictures of Guido in everyday moments—from kitchen trips to long‑haul plane rides—highlighting how the stuffed friend gets along wherever their owners go.

“He’s gone to Italy, Spain, Monte Carlo—and I’m like, ‘This plush is traveling more than I are,’” Lentinello laughed.

The word “guido,” a slang term describing the machismo‑filled, fashion‑obsessed, city‑dwelling Italian‑American male, can be seen as slur. Lentinello, whose father immigrated from Naples, sees it instead as a term of fondness.

“My definition is someone who puts the family first, who’s honest, who takes pride in their Italian roots and works hard,” she said.

The spark for the business came when 20‑year‑old son Joseph encouraged his mom to “try small things” after watching Shark Tank. As a stay‑at‑home mom, Lentinello was used to cooking, cleaning, baking, but she wanted to open a new chapter.

When the idea hit her, she raced into Joseph’s room, rummaged through his closet, and had him dress up in a piece of his own clothing. “I grabbed my husband’s watch and snapped a picture,” she recalled. “He just looked at me like I was insane.”

She even drafted one of the most iconic “guido” personalities—Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation—to check out her product. He let her cut in line during a Barnes & Noble signing at the Staten Island Mall.

“I crammed into the store shouting, ‘I’ve got your guidos!’ and he waved me over,” she recounted.

Looking ahead, Lentinello is expanding the line, which already includes a Birthday Guido who carries an Italian‑flag cake, to bring a matching “Guidette.”

“He needs a Guidette,” she said. “Someone with big hair, holding hairspray.”