160-foot-long Italian sandwich is quickly devoured in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine – This was a sub worth diving into.

Eleven sandwich shops in Maine combined forces to create a 160-foot-long (49-meter-long) Italian sandwich.

The ginormous sandwich disappeared as quickly as it was created Thursday, devoured by hungry passersby in Portland’s Monument Square.

Organizer Jim Britt said details will be sent to Guinness World Records, which will consider creating a new category for Maine’s sandwich. This was a trial run for another effort next year with a representative of Guinness World Records on hand.

As the story goes, the Italian sandwich was invented in Portland by Giovanni Amato, who began selling sandwiches by pushcart after opening a bakery in 1902. There are now dozens of sandwich shops selling Italian sandwiches in Greater Portland alone.