The Mafia’s New York: Hideouts, Hangouts and Rubouts – Design You Trust

The Mafia’s New York: Hideouts, Hangouts and Rubouts

Home of Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, 265 E. 10th St., between First Avenue and Avenue A

“The East Village was the who’s who of the mob scene from the 1930s to the ’90s,” says Ferrara. “Everyone thinks it was Mulberry Street, but really, it was Prince Street and the East Village.” Luciano, originally known as “Sal from 14th Street,” immigrated from Sicily when he was 10 years old and lived in this East Village walk-up. He grew up to be the first official boss of the Genovese family, and was instrumental in creating the Five Families “commission” that divided up NYC territories. His childhood home still stands, and the ground level storefront is the Middle Eastern eatery Moustache Pitza. (NYP)

Carmello’s, formerly at 1638 York Ave., between 86th and 87th streets

“In the ’70s, this dive bar was a watering hole for Upper East Side gangsters, who were infiltrated by undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone, a k a Donnie Brasco,” says Ferrara. “Pistone posed as a jewelry thief and made nice with members of the Bonanno family by slipping into backgammon games with regulars at Carmello’s.” Now the storefront houses a Bagel Bob’s. Johnny Depp played Donnie Brasco in the 1997 film. (NYP)

De Robertis, 176 First Ave., between 10th and 11th streets

This traditional Italian pastry shop, which opened in 1904, was a favorite haunt of Genovese and Gambino crews. Joseph “Piney” Armone, a Gambino capo, ran his operations out of the cafe in the ’50s. Three decades later, feds bugged the joint to track John “Handsome Jack” Giordano, one of John Gotti’s underbosses. The wire connected Handsome Jack to “everything from bookmaking, loan-sharking and gambling to illicit activities at the San Gennaro Festival,” says Ferrara. (NYP)

John’s Restaurant, 302 E. 12th St., between First and Second avenues

“This place is a neighborhood legend,”says Ferrara of the Italian eatery, which opened in 1908. It’s also where, in 1922, Morello family trigger man Umberto Rocco Valenti was killed three days after botching a hit on Genovese boss Giuseppe Masseria. Valenti was called to a “peace meeting” at John’s, but when he arrived at the restaurant,“ he was greeted by half a dozen gunmen.” (NYP)

Liz Christy Community Garden, Houston Street, between the Bowery and Second Avenue

One of the first community gardens in Manhattan was also a local favorite of mob boss Vincent “Chin” Gigante, who made headlines for his attempt to ward off prosecution by feigning mental illness. “He would walk around the neighborhood in his slippers and pajamas, mumbling to himself,” explains Ferrara. He also grew tomatoes on this plot of land and was often seen toting shopping bags full of the red fruit, passing them out to neighbors on his way home. (NYP)

“Black Hand Block,” Prince Street, between the Bowery and Elizabeth Street

“This corner was a hotbed of mob activity for nearly a century — it rivaled Mulberry Street,” says Ferrara. The Morello crime family, one of the very first Italian-American crime syndicates, was headquartered at Spaghetti Kitchen at 8 Prince St. (now the Clothing Warehouse, a vintage apparel store). This corner, often thought of as Little Sicily, was home to social clubs at 18 Prince St. and 21 Prince St., now the INA designer-clothing stores. (NYP)

Bari Restaurant Supply, 240 Bowery, between Prince and Houston streets

In 1983, the FBI bugged the car of Sal Avellino, a member of the Lucchese family, and tracked it to this unassuming Lower East Side location. Avellino was on his way to a meeting of the bosses of the Five Families. “This is a place people would never expect to be a mob meeting place,” says Ferrara. “People assume they met in secret crime dens, but really they were meeting in restaurant supply stores and the basement of wine stores.” Gambino boss Paul Castellano, Genovese chief Anthony Salerno and Lucchese head Anthony “Ducks” Corallo all fled the scene after an FBI agent was spotted peering through one of the windows. (NYP)

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Design You Trust Facebook page. You won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Artist Liu Bolin 'Disappears' In An Iceberg For Moncler Fall Ads
Sharon Stone And Anton Rivas In "Dog Day Afternoon" Photoshoot (2012)
Rihanna for Harper’s Bazaar US, August 2012
Sony World Photography Awards Announces Stunning 2021 Contest Category Winners
Big Brother Makes His 5-Year-Old Sister's Dreams Come True With Disney-Themed Photoshoot
Haunting And Beautiful Portraits Of Native American Peoples From The Early 20th Century
Spectacular Winning Images of The Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022
Striking Black And White Photos Show The Brutal Lives Of Gun-Toting Depression Era Mobs In America
Trying to Understand the Mysterious Russian Soul with Amazing Photographs of Sergey Kolyaskin
Beautiful Photos Of John Lennon With His First Wife Cynthia At Their Home In 1965
"Dark City Lights": New York Through The Lens Of Ray H. Mercado
Long Exposure Turn Budapest Trams
Spectacular Winning Photos Of The British Ecological Society Photo Competition 2018
Beautiful Photos of Margaux Hemingway in the 1970s and ’80s
Let The Children Play: Remarkable Photos Of Lovely Kids By Svetlana Kvashina
"Dancing With The Stars": Stunning Images Of Aerial Artists Lighting Up The Night Sky
When Photos Looked Like Paintings: Dreamy Landscape Photographs Taken By Leonard Misonne
Photographer Creates Surreal & Minimalist Self-Portraits Surrounded By Flowers And Fruits
Vintage, Rare, Candid, Funny, Beautiful, Weird And Awesome Celebrity Photos
Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings Series Unveils Superb Character Posters
UK Army Photographic Competition
Couple Poses With Gas Masks For Their Wedding Photos To Protest Heavy Pollution In China
Brooklyn-Based Photographer Hannah La Follette Ryan Has, For The Past 5 Years, Captured The Hands Of Passengers On The NYC Subway
Italy-based Artist Cristina Guggeri Shows World Leaders Pooping In New Series Of Images Called “The Daily Duty”