Mr. Jost wrote in his 2020 memoir, “A Very Punchable Face,” that his commute to high school in Manhattan involved riding the ferry every weekday. Mr. Jost, who is married to the actress Scarlett Johansson, no longer lives on Staten Island.Among the other investors in the boat is Ron Castellano, who described himself as an architect, developer and contractor. Mr. Castellano said the Kennedy had significant historic value as the last of an old style of ferries. The purchase of the ferry was first reported by the culture website, Vulture. The Kennedy, which was commissioned in 1965, was by far the oldest boat in the city’s fleet when it was retired in August, said Vincent Barone, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation.Despite its age, the Kennedy was popular with riders because it had broad promenades on its decks that provided space for riding in the open air and made it easy for passengers to board and disembark.The city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services put the ferry up for auction this month, seeking an initial bid of $250,000. After it was lowered to $125,000, Mr. Italia started bidding. But, he said, each of his bids was quickly countered by an undisclosed rival.The top bids hovered around $140,000 until the Wednesday evening deadline approached. At the last minute, Mr. Italia’s rival bid $280,000, triggering a brief extension during which Mr. Italia placed the winning bid: $280,100.“He certainly made us spend more money than we wanted to,” Mr. Italia said of the unidentified rival.