CHILDHOOD HOME - 265 East 10th Street New York City
This is the childhood home of Italian mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano.
It is located at 265 East 10th Street in Manhattan, New York.
Luciano was the first official boss of what is now known as the Genovese crime family. Following his rise to power, he established the Commission, which remains the governing body of the Italian-American mafia.
For this reason, he is considered to be the father of modern organized crime in the United States.
His family emigrated from Sicily to the United States when he was just 8 years old.
After arriving in New York, the family settled in East Village, which was a popular neighborhood for Italian immigrants.
Luciano lived at 265 East 10th Street with his parents, Antonio Lucania and Rosalia Capporelli, and his four siblings.
Salvatore Luciano was born in the town of Lercarra Friday, Sicily - November 24, 1897, the same town that Frank Sinatra's father Martino Severino Sinatra was born, as well as Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino.
Luciano's parents immigrated to the United States in 1906. The family settled in the Lower East Side of New York City, with young Salvatore and his siblings. Young Salvatore ("Lucky") was 8 years old at the time.
The area was a major enclave of Sicilian and other Southern Italian immigrants at the time. There were 4 famous Italian-American eating establishment in the neighbourhood, of which 2 are still open, and sadly two have recently closed. These places are Lanza's Italian Restaurant on 1st Avenue, DeRobertis's Pasticceria next door, John's of 12th Street, and Venniero's Pastries. John's and Venniero's "Thank God" are both still open, as of this writing in January of 2025.
ALTHOUGH legal arguments have long echoed down the austere halls of the Criminal Court building on Centre Street, many spirited lawyerly discussions also occurred a few blocks east, in a dim, shoebox-sized Italian restaurant named Giambone. Now, as workers at Centre Street and other nearby courthouses dig into their fall workload, they are discovering that this neighborhood fixture is gone.
Located on a narrow stretch of Mulberry Street two blocks south of Canal, Giambone, a virtual clubhouse for lawyers, judges, cops and defendants with a history as rich as its clam sauce, closed its doors in June. It was a victim of 9/11 and the sluggish economy, which all but eliminated the evening dinner crowd.
Originally housed in a marble-floored basement, which served it well during Prohibition, the restaurant was opened in 1914 by a strapping fellow named Italo Susi, who went by the nickname Giambone. In 1935, after the upstairs tenant, a Western Union office, left, Italo moved his eatery aboveground and, along with his son Tony, built the place into a bustling, neighborhood joint.
Within a stone's throw of various courthouses, Giambone was a natural choice for people who worked at the courthouse or merely visited it from time to time, like the mobster John Gotti. Tony Susi, now 82, still remembers his introduction to the once-Teflon don.
''The goons came over and said, 'Would you accept John Gotti?' I said, 'Of course.' Then they said, 'Would you wait on him personally?' So I waited on him. We got along pretty well, too. I spoke to him in Italian.'' Mr. Gotti ordered the calamari and left a $125 tip.
Over the years, other celebrities passed through, including the comedian Pat Cooper, who wanted to kiss Mr. Susi upon tasting his Linguine alla Sinatra , a house specialty, and John F. Kennedy Jr., who nursed his wounds at Giambone after failing the bar exam for the second time.
Asked about the many stunts he pulled at Giambone, Mr. Martine, a retired lawyer, fondly recalled the sweltering day he sent two colleagues on a goose chase in search of a Chinese tailor rumored to sell cheap suits. ''By the time the guys got back, they were walking swimming pools,'' he said with a laugh. ''They were mad as hell.''
There is another reason to mourn Giambone. Except for a half-Italian, half-Chinese place next door, it was the last Italian restaurant on Mulberry Street below Canal.
Next month the space will reopen as a Chinese furniture store, furthering the Asian dominance of an area that, according to Mr. Susi, once housed seven Italian restaurants.
Mr. Susi retired in 1990, selling the restaurant to a man named Joseph Elias. Bob Jenny, a spokesman for New York City Management, the owner of the building, said that Mr. Elias informed the company last spring that he was closing the struggling business. Mr. Elias could not be reached for comment.
For its many former customers, the bottom line is that the restaurant will be missed. ''It's left a hole in the neighbor- hood,''' said Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney and a longtime regular. ''Now, we go to Odeon or Forlini's.''
GINO'S was a wonderful Old School Italian Restaurant on Lexington Avenue that was beloved by its many loyal customers that include: Fank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Gay Talese, Jackie "O" and many more. Pasta with Salsa Segreto was the most famous dish on the menu, customers just loved it, and the regulars who frequent this wonderful restaurant yearn for it to this day. The dish is not hard to make at all, but you do need to know the ingredients and how to make it. You Need The Secret RECIPE.
OK, so you love Italian Food, “Yes?” Who doesn’t? You may not know how to cook, or maybe you do and want to add some Great Recipes to your repertoire. You may feel It’s high time you learned how to make an awesome Italian Pasta Sauce, “Hey, everyone should!” But, what kind; Tomato, Marinara, Bolognese?
Or maybe you already have a number of recipes, but do you have recipes for; Clemenza’s Godfather Sunday Sauce or Danny Bolognese’s Ragu Bolognese? No, we didn’t think so! How about Gino’s Top-Secret Salsa Segreto from the beloved old New York Red-Sauce Joint “Gino’s of Capri?” Well, now it’s time for you to delve into SEGRETO ITALIANO and find rare and Secret Recipes, and learn how to make make Italian-America's favorite dishes, dishes like; Cacciucco, Lucia’s Jersey Braciole, Uncle Pete’s Baked Rabbit, Jersey Shore Crab Sauce, or Serio Maccioni’s original recipe of the World Famous Pasta Primavera. Segreto Italiano is a celebration of Italian Food and Italian-America and is filled with countless recipes and wonderful stories of Italian Food and culture, like only Daniel Bellino “Z” can tell. Delight in Daniel’s wonderful storytelling and savor the recipes, the wonderfully delicious dishes of Segreto Italiano.
Richard Castellano as Peter Clemenza and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
In FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S The GODFATHER
Novel by MARIO PUZO
SUNDAY SAUCE
by Daniel Bellino "Z"
"Come here kid, lem-me show you something. You never know when you're gonna have to cook for 20 guys some day." Pete Clemenza says to Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. It's one of the most famed movie scenes in history, and of great importance to Italian-Americans. Clemenza is making "Gravy" aka Sunday Sauce, the Supreme Dish of Italian-America, and the dish that brings Italian Families together each and every Sunday. Learn How to Make Clemenza's Sunday Sauce, Meatballs, Pasta Fazool, Momma DiMaggio's Gravy, Goodfellas Sauce, and all of the great favorites of The Italian American Table.
Cook Sinatra's Spaghetti & Meatballs, Italian Wedding Soup and more, and delight in the many stories and factual information written by Italian Food & Wine Writer Daniel Bellino Zwicke. This book is filled with Joy & Love, and you will get many years of both, reading, cooking and eating the dishes in SUNDAY SAUCE "When Italian-Americans Eat".Do you Love Goodfellas, The Godfather, and Italian Food? Of course you do. Learn How to make Clemenza's Brooklyn Mob War Sauce for 20 people some day. Remember that scene in Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo classic Film Trilogy of the Corleone Family of Sicily and Brooklyn, New York. Recipes in Italian-American New York Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke's Best Selling Cookbook (2 Years Amazon Kindle)
SUNDAY SAUCE includes ; Frank Sinatra Sunday Sauce, Dolly Sinatra's Spaghetti Meatballs, Joe DiMaggio 's mom's Sunday Gravy, and Charlie Scorsese making Sauce in Prison in Martin Scorsese's GOODFELLAS - starring; Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesce, and Ray Liotta making Veal & Peppers and Sunday Sauce. And by-the-way, Joe Pesci and Liotta are both Italians from New Jersey, so they know their stuff when it comes to Italian Food and all things Italian (Mafia speak and so-forth).
It all started with Pete Clemenza and The Godfather, a movie by Italian-American director
Francis FOrd Coppola. Yes, I guess we can say it started with Francis. It was Francis Ford Coppola who wrote the Screenplay along with the author of the Best Selling Novel - The Godfather, Mr. Mario Puzo, also an Italian-American. Coppola was the co author of The Godfather Screenplay along with Puzo. And it was Coppola who was the films director and decided what would be in the film and what wasn't.
Coppola brilaintly sets the scene of Sonny Corleone meeting with his Capo's and other Corleone Crime Family associates, discussing strtegies of their next moves after Virgil Sollozzo puts out a hit on Sonny's father, Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brand). The attempted assasination of Vito Corleone fails, and Vito Corleone is still alive, as his son Santino (Sonny) becomes the acting Boss of the Corleone Crime Family.
As Sonny and his cronies discuss what to do, sitting around eating Chinese Food, his Capo, Peter Clemenza is making a pot of Italian Sunday Sauce Gravy with Sausages & Meatballs. Sonny's younger brother Michael (Al Pacino) is in the room as well. He gets a call from his girlfriend Dianne, who ask Michael if she loves him. Michael doesn't say it, but Clemenza being the smart old guy that he is, knows what has been said, and says, "Why don't you tell that nice girl you Love her. I Love you with all of my Heart. If I don't again soon, I'ma gonna Die" Clemenza chuckles.
Clemenza continues cooking his Sauce, then says to Michael, "Come over here kid. Learn something. You never know when you're gonna to cook for 20 guys someday? You see? You start out with a little oil. Then you fry some Garlic. Then you throw in some Tomatoes, some Tomato Paste, you fry it up. You make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil. You shove in all your Sausage, and your Meatballs. Add a little bit of wine. And a little sugar, and that's my trick."
Yes, Clemenza making Sunday Sauce and Meatballs was a favorite scene which just about everyone recalls and talks about, and for good reasons. It's a great scene. But let us not forget some other scenes that included Italian food. At Connie Corleone's Wedding, we have a Corleone associate throwing a Gabagool Sandwich to Paulie (watch the video below).
Also, let's not forget Sonny tearing off a piece of Italian Bread, dipping it into the Sauce that Sonny's mother has simmering on the stove. Then Sonny eats it. There are a couple scenes when the the wole Corleone Family is eating at the table. There's the scene when Connie has cooked a meal for herself and her husband Carlo. One of Carlo's girlfriends (Goomada) calls up asking for Carlo. Connie picks up the phone, then her and Carlo start fighting.
Another memorable scene that involved Italian Food was the meeting between Michael, Virgil Sollozzo, and Captain McCluskey at Louie's Italian Restaurant in the Bronx. The three of them are sitting around the table when McCluskey asked Sollozzo, "How the Italian Food in this Restaurant?"
Sollozzo replies, "Get the Veal. It's the best in the City"
Michael Corleone goes into the bathroom, and gets the gun that is planted for him inside the bathroom, above the toilet. Michael comes back out into the dining room and shoots and kills both Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey. The calmly drops the gun, and walks out of the restaurant.
In the annals of Italian Food in movies, Stanley Tucci's Big Night is way up near the top. Some would probably put it on the top of their list. Yes when it comes to Italian Food in movies, Big Night is a heavyweight. The movie centers around two brothers from Italy, in their Italian Restaurant on the Jersey Shore, Louis Prima, and a monumental dish of Southern Italy, known as a Timpano (aka Timballo).
The brothers restaurant is not doing that well financially. The food is very good, but this is the 1950s, and the locals don't get Chef Primo's authentic Italian Food. When a fellow (rival) restaurant owner tells brothers Scondo (Stanley Tucci) and Primo that he knows the famous Sicilian-American singer Louis Prima, and that he is going to get him to come to the brothers restaurant, this get the ball rolling on a very special dinner hosted by the brothers, featuring Chef Primo's wonderful food, and the centerpiece of the meal, The Timpano, a luxurious dish made of baked maccheroni, meats, sauce, and cheeses stuffed into a dough shell that's baked in a pan called a "Timpano" by which the dish gets his name.
The movie stars Stanley Tucci as Secondo, Tony Shaloub as Primo, Secondo's brother, Isabella Rossellini as Gabriella, with Minnie Driver, and Marc Anthony as the busboy.
The wonderful music, fine cast, and the scenes preparing the Timapno and other dishes is superb, and it's these scenes that captivated audiences, and inspired to make their very own Big Night Style Italian Dinner Parties. The rest is history, and people still talk about Big Night, the Timpano, and wonderful Italian Dinner.
Johnny (Frank Pelligrino Sr,) & Vinny (Charlie Scorsese)
DINNER in PRISON
GOODFELLAS
There are several Italian Food scenes in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, a true life story of factions of the New York Mafia members and associates, based on Nick Pellegi's book Wiseguy. Of course the most famous food scene is when Henry (Ray Liotta) is in Prison with Vinny (Charlie Scorsese), Johnny Dio, and "Big Paulie" (Paul Sorvino). Viiny is making the Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy with Meatballs and Pork Neck, as Johnny Dio cooks up some Steaks. The scene is quite memorable, and people talk about it all the time, especially the way Paul Sorvino shaves the Garlic "Ravor Thin" with a ravor, and Big Paulie telling Vinny, "Vinny don't put too many Onions in the Sauce." You gotta just Love it?
The scene with Henry making Veal Scallopine and his brother stirring "The Sauce" is memorable as well.
So if you Love Movies, Italian Food, and Italian Food in movies, there's a good chance you already know these films and the Food Scenes in them, and if you're like me, you talk about them, and watch the movies over and over again. When you've got something good, you stick with it. And that's The Godfather, Coppola and Pacino, Clemenza and his Sauce. Big Night Stanley Tucci and The Timpano, and Marty Scorsese's Goodfellas, Robert DeNiro, The Prison Sauce, and the main character Henry Hill, and the late great Ray Liotta, who turned in such a great performance, he was even better than DeNiro. "Yes he was."
Watch the movies, enjoy, make a Sunday Sauce, and listen to Sinatra. What's better than that?
