GINO ITALIAN Lexington Ave NewYork

GINO'S

And The ZEBRA WALLPAPER

Gino is sadly Closed.

The legendary Upper East Side red-sauce joint is closing its kitchen after 65 years.

“Forget about it. I feel very bad,” said co-owner Salvatore Doria, 70.

“Frank Sinatra Barbra Streisand, Brooke Shields, Ben Gazzara. We knew everyone very well,” said head waiter Marco Del’abruzzo, 46, who has worked at the eatery on Lexington Avenue and 61st Street for 22 years.

Over the past year, stories have surfaced again and again regarding the trouble at Gino, the 65 year-old Upper East Side Italian joint with the oh so famous zebra wall paper. Last February, the owner complained of terrible business. Then it was almost killed by the union. Then it sat in limbo. Then it was shuttering again. Then it was almost saved. Today comes this from the Post: "Gino is sadly finito. The legendary Upper East Side red-sauce joint is closing its kitchen after 65 years." A call confirms they will close at the end of the month.

Gino Restaurant

Lexington Avenue

NEW YORK

North of BLOOMINGDALE'S

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Chef Boyardee Bolognese Meat Sauce Pasta

 

Chef Boyardee

Was Really CHEF HECTOR BOIARDI

Unlike the fictional food icons, Aunt Jemima, Betty Crocker, and Uncle Ben- Chef Boyardee is real, an actual chef, and an Ohioan. Ettore “Hector” Boiardi was born in Northern Italy in 1897. The Boiardi family immigrated to the United States in 1914 and eventually settled in Cleveland. Hector was already a talented chef by the time he moved to Cleveland and decided to open his first restaurant “Il Giardino d’Italia” at East 9th Street and Woodland Avenue in the Little Italy neighborhood. Chef Boiardi’s restaurant was a success and customers expressed an interest in his spaghetti sauce recipe, samples to take home, and wanting to recreate various dishes. To meet customer demands, Boiardi packaged his product in old milk bottles to send home with patrons. The chef started charging for these “take home” products and eventually his packaged sales were greater than his normal restaurants. The family decided to change their business model and began focusing on jarring their family’s sauce recipe to sell at American supermarkets. Hector also changed his name and product to “Boyardee” so that it was easier for Americans to say. Boyardee eventually sold his brand to American Home Foods for 6 million dollars, however the brand is still as popular as ever and found in supermarkets around the United States today.

 

CHEF BOIARDI

2nd From Left with Friends

 

But if You Want to EAT

The SINGLE BEST ITALIAN DISH Ever ? !!!

Get a Copy of The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

For The SECRET RECIPE RAGU BOLOGNESE 

by DANNY BOLOGNESE

aka DanielBellinoZwicke.com

Dinner at Dolly Sinatra House Hoboken

Spaghetti & Meatballs

A true Italian MEal can last several hours, and Sunday Dinner at Marty and Dolly Sinatra's house usually consisted of as many as nine courses. First an Antipast - Marinated Olivess, Roast Peppers, Mozzarella Cheese with sliced Tomatoes, Potatoes and Red Onions, Eggplant Parmigiano, marinated Grabanzo Beans, Anchovies, Mushrooms. Then a starter, Shrimp Scampi with garlic butter, or Clams, or Calamari, accompanied by a raw vegetable tray. Next a pasta course - Spaghetti, Ziti, Mostaccioli, Cavatelli or homemade Gnocchi, or perhaps Raviolli or Canneloni or Fettuccine. A meat course - Beef Steak, Pork, or Veal, possibly Meatballs or homemadde Sausage, or a real treat, Braciol, Veal pounded thin and spread with herbs and Pine Nuts, then rolled like crepes, and cooked in Tomato Sauce. Then anotherr course of cooked greens, usually bitter, Escarole or Broccoli di Rabe with a little Olive Oil and garlic. Then chicken - Cacciatore Style or with white wine and herbs. And finally cold crunch salad, followed by dessert and Espresso with Annisette or Sambucca. Each course would be accompanied by an appropriate wine, and followed by a rest or break which was always filled with great conversation. The time spent at the table was warm and happy and guests (Sammy Davis Jr., Tommy Dorsey, etc. ) shared in the warmth that radiates from Italian families, shared the camarederie and passions of Italians. Italians love food. Italians love music. Italians love Italians. There's a lot of hugging among Italians - I grew up with so much hugging. And Italian men embrace other men, warmly and without restraint. The love in an Italian family is warm and pervasive.

Excerpted from "FRANK SINATRA MY FATHER"

by Nancy Sinatra

Learn How to Make

SUNDAY SAUCE alla SINATRA

Dolly Sinatra's Meatballs

RECIPES

The SINATRA 'S

FRANK MARTY and DOLLY

MANGIA BENE

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Buffalo Chicken Wings Thats Italian

   

 BUFFALO WINGS ORIGINAL RECIPE   

 After Burgers and Pizza, these Buffalo Chicken Wings may very well be America’s 3^rd most popular dish. And guess what? They’re not just American, they’re Italian American Teressa Bellissimo one night at her families Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York. Legend has it that Teressa’s son Dom was hanging out at the bar one night with his buddy’s. The guys were hungry so Mamma Bellissimo whipped up a little snack for the boys. Teressa fried up some wings, made a little hot sauce and coated the wings with them. And served them to the boys. They went nuts they loved them. They started serving them as a free at the bar for the bar customers. It was just a matter of weeks before all of Buffalo found out about these tasty wings. They became famous almost over night, whereby the Bellissimo’s stopped serving them for free at the bar and put them on the menu. The Bellissimo’s served Italian Food at their Anchor Bar, and the Italian Food was quite special. However the Bellisimo’s tasty Chicken Wings quickly out sold all the regular Italian Specialty Dishes and the Bellissimo’s Wings became the number 1 best seller on the menu. Not only that, but Teressa’s Italian-American created Chicken Wings became uber famous all over America and subsequently all over the World. That’s Italian, “Italian-American.”   RECIPE : Ingredients: 36 chicken wing pieces (one wing makes 2 pieces - the "flat" & the drum) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 6 tablespoons Frank’s Hot Sauce (or other) 6 tablespoons unsalted Butter or Margarine Celery Sticks 1 bottle of Blue Cheese Dressing Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut whole wings into two pieces at the joint. In a bowl toss the wings with the oil, and salt. Place into a large plastic shopping bag, and add the flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove wings from the bag, shaking off excess flour, and spread out evenly on oiled foil-lined baking pan(s). Do not crowd. Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the wings over, and cook another 20 minutes, or until the wings are cooked through and browned. While the Wings are baking, mix all the ingre-dients for the sauce in a pan, and cook over low heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the Wings are cooked, remove from oven. Place wings in a large bowl and pour sauce over wings to coat. Mix thoroughly. Serve with Blue Cheese Dressing and fresh Celery Spears.

ABIDE in IT !!!

GREAT RECIPES For SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

In The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

Recipes

DUDES COWBOY CHILI

BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

CRAZY WINGS

and More ...

AMAZON.com

ANCHOR BAR

Where it all Started.

Italian-American Teressa Bellisimo Invented Hot Chicken Wings

at The ANCHOR BAR in 1964 ..

NOTE : At the ANCHOR BAR and all over BUFFALO, what is called

BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS all over AMERICA, are not called Buffalo Chicken Wings

in Buffalo, but simply "CHICKEN WINGS"

Teressa Bellisimo

Inventor of BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

Buffalo , New York

1964

On March 4th, 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the now-famous Anchor Bar Restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Late that evening, a group of Dominic’s friends arrived at the bar with ravenous appetites. Dominic asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat.

They looked like chicken wings, a part of the chicken that usually went into the stock pot for soup. Teressa had deep fried the wings and flavored them with a secret sauce. The wings were an instant hit and it didn’t take long for people to flock to the bar to experience their new taste sensation. From that evening on, Buffalo Wings became a regular part of the menu at the Anchor Bar.

The phenomenon created in 1964 by Teressa Bellissimo has spread across the globe. Although many have tried to duplicate the Buffalo wing, the closely guarded secret recipe is what makes Frank & Teressa’s the proclaimed “Best Wings in the World”.

The BADASS COOKBOOK 

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY FOOD

McRIB RECIPE

KILLER CHILI

How to Make KFC FRIED CHICKEN

and More ..

..

Lucky Luciano Chicken Parm Johns 12th Street

Charles "Luckky" Luciano

From LERCARA FRIDDI SICILY

On August 11th 1922 Umberto Valenti was having a plate Chicken Parmigiana. Some time around noon, Valenti and six laughing companions emerged from their lunch at John’s on East 12th Street. Walking eastward when smiles turned into frowns. Suddenly, Valenti spooked and bolted towards Second Avenue as two slick, well-dressed gunmen whipped out revolvers and fired. Gangland legend holds that one of the shooters was none other than Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Masseria’s newest protégé was future Geovese Crime Family Boss Vito Genovese.

The Chain of Evenets Follows :

1.Umberto Valenti emerges from John’s of 12th Street. Lucky Luciano and another assassin open fire. 

2. Valenti draws a revolver and is hit in the chest with a bullet. He staggers to a waiting taxicab and dies. 

3. The gunmen shoot two innocent bystanders before disappearing into a tenement.

CHICKEN PARM at JOHN'S

RECIPE in SUNDAY SAUCE

John’s Restaurant was a prominent speakeasy of the era, making wine and whiskey in the basement.  These illegal beverages were served in espresso cups in case of a raid.  Opened in 1908 by John Puciatti, an immigrant from Umbria, this was a red sauce and wine joint that exuded the type of Old World Italian spirit to which mobsters have been known to gravitate.

JOHN'S of E. 12th Street is the restaurant is most associated with gangster culture for the fact that, “Charlie Luciano killed Rocco Umberto Valenti on that corner in August of 1922.   Though no one was ever charged, it is pretty well established in gangland history. There are reports of the shooting in NY Times archives.”  Umberto was called to John’s for a “peace offering” with fellow mob boss Guissepe Messeria.  Upon his arrival, he was chased to the corner and gunned down.  Ferrara further notes that Carlo Tresca, historical anarchist and opponent of fascism and the mafia, lived in an apartment atop John’s, was friends with the owners, and ate his last meal at the restaurant before being assassinated by a mafia gunman on 5th Avenue and East 13th Street.

RECIPE

LUCKY LUCIAN'S CHICKEN PARM

Is in SUNDAY SAUCE

by Daniel Bellino "Z"

Who Worked at JOHN'S for 7 Yeaars

In The 1980s

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke 's Family

comes from  LERCARA FRIDDI , SICILY

The Same Town as CHARLES "LUCKY" LUCIANO

and FRANK SINATRA

LISTEN to

"12th STREET RAG"

L. Bowan and Aaron Robinson

RAGTIME PIANO MUSIC

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Red Sauce Society Dinner at Johns

JOHN'S E. 12 th Street

Since 1908

BEST SPEEDINO al ROMANO in Town

"It's Legendary"

Inside JOHN'S

Front Dining Room

ooking from Back to Front Door  WIndow

Mural of VENICE

Front Dinning Room

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Muarl at JOHN'S

The "RED SAUCE SOCIETY"

A Meeting of The Italian Red Saucce Society

JOHN'S of 12th STREET

NEW YORK , NY

Tuesday JANUARY 15 , 2019

Me, Kresh, Vince, Alexis, and Sophia

We drank a lot of good wine, inclucing; Rosso di Montalcino, Falerno, Altro Pavia, and ?

We ate; Speedino al Romano, Polpette (Meatballs), Spaghetti Carbonara, Escarole, Melanzane al Parmigiano (Eggplant), Veal Bismark (al Holstein), Rigatoni con Ragu, Cheesecake and TiraMi Su.

Oh buddy Jimmy took care of us and we had the most marvelous time.

Veal Bismark

aka Veal al Holstein

My old buddy, Chef Rene who I've known for almost 40 years made us Veal Bismark, which has not been on the menu for years, but he made it especially for our group. Everyone loved it. No one other then myself had ever eaten it before, and the wonderful flavors of the breaded fried veal cutlet, topped with a fried egg, and Anchovy Caper Sauce was amazing.

The Back Room at JOHN'S

Probably late 1940s or Early 50s

GRANDMA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

RECIPES FROM a SICILIAN NONNA

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Near the Entrance of JOHN'S

Waiters side-station for Linnens and Plates

Note the Old Tile Floor

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Ginos Secret Sauce Salsa Segreto Pasta

A Waiter at GINO'S

 

And the Famous ZEBRA WALLPAPER

 

 

GINO'S on Lexington Avenue near Bloomingdale's was what is known as an Old School Italian Red-Sauce Joint. It was quite famous, a favorite of many A List Celebrities like: Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan. Gay Talese, Nick Pileggi, Martin Scorsese, and so many more.

 

 

The food was great. It was simple uncomplicated old school Napoletan fare, the kind of food that just about every New Yorker loved dearly. They had all the usual supects, like; Baked Clams Oreganta or Casino as well as Posillipo, Lasagna, Manicotti, Chicken and Veal Parmigiano, Spaghetti with Clam Sauce (Vongole) and much more, but there was one dish that was most famous of all, and if you went to Gino's, you know what I'm talking about. Yes, taht dish is the famed  RIGATLON al SEGRETO (pasta w/ Secret Sauce).

 

Gino's was truly wonderful, as it was the perfect old school Italian Restaurant for the City of New York. As we know, they had great food, but the prices were very reasonable and most affordable as was the Wine List at Gino's. There was the also uber famous Scalamandre Zebra Wallpaper and the dining room itself, filled with well-heeled regulars who gave the place a wonderful life of its own. You felt the energy in the air of Gino's, and it felt so good. And of course, there were the waiters and Matre'd 's of the year, who provide excelleent , friendly professional service to complete the picture that made the whole of Gino's one of a kind, and again "Oh So Wonderful" it was.

 

 

 

 

READ MORE ABout GINO'S

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MAKE The SCRET SAUCE

 

 

SALSA SEGRETO

 

 

RECIPE in SEGRETO ITALIANO

 

by BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK AUTHOR

 

 

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

 

BASTA !!!

 

 

 

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