Paroled mobster Fat Tony banned from mafia eateries
He's whacked with hunger.
Mobster Anthony "Fat Tony" Rabito's appetite is cooked after probation officers put him on an involuntary diet last month -- telling him to steer clear of his favorite eateries for the next few years.
Rabito, the reputed consigliere of the Bonanno crime family, has been bada-banned from four old-school Italian eateries because they are well-known mob hangouts.
"They told me to stay away from hot places," the rotund Rabito, 75, bellyached to a friend recently.
The hit list includes Rao's in East Harlem, Bamonte's in Williamsburg, the Parkside Restaurant in Corona and Don Peppe in Ozone Park, Rabito said.
"I ate at them my whole life," the foodfella griped. But on the bright side, he said, "It'll save me some money."
Rabito was sprung from Loretto federal prison in Pennsylvania last month after a 2½-year stint for gambling, extortion and racketeering. While he's reportedly happy to be back home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he grew up, his beloved Bamonte's taunts him from just seven blocks away.
"I used to go there three, four times a week," he groused. "They got great mussels."
Rabito said his probation officer warned him that he'd be violating the terms of his three-year supervised release if he went to the 109-year-old pasta palace.
Prosecutors alleged as part of the case against him that Rabito held illicit business meetings inside the Williamsburg staple. It was never proven at trial; Rabito copped a plea instead.
The hungry hoodlum said a second probation officer also busted his chops, warning him to stay away from Rao's, as well as Parkside and Don Peppe in Queens, just to be on the safe side.
But Rabito still longs for a pizza the action.
"They all got great pasta dishes," he reminisced.
Rao's famously became the site of a fatal shooting after a Lucchese associate, Albert Circelli, insulted singer Rena Strober as she performed a rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade." Livid at the show of disrespect, Luchese bookmaker Louis Barone shot a departing Circelli in the back, killing him.
"I had blood in my eyes," Barone later told cops.
It hasn't hurt the bottom line. Rao's 10 tables are permanently booked every night through this year, according to its reservation hot line.
Parkside is owned by reputed Genovese family capo Anthony "Tough Tony" Federici, who was once arrested for shooting a hawk from the restaurant's roof. He said the hawk had been feeding on his racing pigeons, which lived on the rooftop.
"They tell all the mobsters they're not allowed in here," Milo, the manager, told The Post. "On that respect, we do lose a lot of customers."
Genovese capo Ciro Perrone often held court at Don Peppe -- where he was caught on tape dissing the reality-TV show "Growing up Gotti" in 2004.
"It's a soap opera, and the kids look like girls," he said, according to feds.
Parkside maitre'd Alfredo Chiesa was saddened to hear the he had lost a good customer in Rabito but shrugged off the claim that his restaurant sells cuisine to the Cosa Noshstra.
"We sell lobsters, not mobsters!" he said.
When gangsters get out of prison, they are usually placed on supervised release for three years and prohibited from hanging out with other convicted felons or known mob members or associates.
Rabito's case, however, appears unique in that his probation officers allegedly told him to stay away from specific restaurants. Probation officials refused to comment.
Rabito's latest prison stint was not his first -- he served a 6½-year sentence in the '80s on drug charges in the wake of the Donnie Brasco case, when FBI agent Joe Pistone infiltrated the Bonanno family.
One of Rabito's underlings didn't mince words when describing his boss' tough side, saying, "Anthony is as serious as cancer. He's a stickler for f- - -in' things. Don't underestimate that f- - -in' guy 'cause he's got a cane . . . He's an old, old hoodlum. He really is," according to a taped conversation.
Rabito, who served in the Korean War, insists he's a legitimate businessman.
"I'm a pimp? I'm a gambler?" he said to his friend. "They'll say anything."
Meanwhile, instead of tucking into Bamonte's mussels, Rabito often eats at home, where the house specialties include his own scungili and puttanesca. It's not Rao's famous lemon chicken, but it's still better than what he ate in prison.
"I didn't eat their food," he said. "I wouldn't eat it. It's awful. All I ate was rice, rice, rice."
Always one to see the upside, he added, "But I lost 60 pounds!"
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08022009/news/regionalnews/feds_say__fugedabout_eat_182593.htm?&page=1
Mobster Anthony "Fat Tony" Rabito's appetite is cooked after probation officers put him on an involuntary diet last month -- telling him to steer clear of his favorite eateries for the next few years.
Rabito, the reputed consigliere of the Bonanno crime family, has been bada-banned from four old-school Italian eateries because they are well-known mob hangouts.
"They told me to stay away from hot places," the rotund Rabito, 75, bellyached to a friend recently.
The hit list includes Rao's in East Harlem, Bamonte's in Williamsburg, the Parkside Restaurant in Corona and Don Peppe in Ozone Park, Rabito said.
"I ate at them my whole life," the foodfella griped. But on the bright side, he said, "It'll save me some money."
Rabito was sprung from Loretto federal prison in Pennsylvania last month after a 2½-year stint for gambling, extortion and racketeering. While he's reportedly happy to be back home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he grew up, his beloved Bamonte's taunts him from just seven blocks away.
"I used to go there three, four times a week," he groused. "They got great mussels."
Rabito said his probation officer warned him that he'd be violating the terms of his three-year supervised release if he went to the 109-year-old pasta palace.
Prosecutors alleged as part of the case against him that Rabito held illicit business meetings inside the Williamsburg staple. It was never proven at trial; Rabito copped a plea instead.
The hungry hoodlum said a second probation officer also busted his chops, warning him to stay away from Rao's, as well as Parkside and Don Peppe in Queens, just to be on the safe side.
But Rabito still longs for a pizza the action.
"They all got great pasta dishes," he reminisced.
Rao's famously became the site of a fatal shooting after a Lucchese associate, Albert Circelli, insulted singer Rena Strober as she performed a rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade." Livid at the show of disrespect, Luchese bookmaker Louis Barone shot a departing Circelli in the back, killing him.
"I had blood in my eyes," Barone later told cops.
It hasn't hurt the bottom line. Rao's 10 tables are permanently booked every night through this year, according to its reservation hot line.
Parkside is owned by reputed Genovese family capo Anthony "Tough Tony" Federici, who was once arrested for shooting a hawk from the restaurant's roof. He said the hawk had been feeding on his racing pigeons, which lived on the rooftop.
"They tell all the mobsters they're not allowed in here," Milo, the manager, told The Post. "On that respect, we do lose a lot of customers."
Genovese capo Ciro Perrone often held court at Don Peppe -- where he was caught on tape dissing the reality-TV show "Growing up Gotti" in 2004.
"It's a soap opera, and the kids look like girls," he said, according to feds.
Parkside maitre'd Alfredo Chiesa was saddened to hear the he had lost a good customer in Rabito but shrugged off the claim that his restaurant sells cuisine to the Cosa Noshstra.
"We sell lobsters, not mobsters!" he said.
When gangsters get out of prison, they are usually placed on supervised release for three years and prohibited from hanging out with other convicted felons or known mob members or associates.
Rabito's case, however, appears unique in that his probation officers allegedly told him to stay away from specific restaurants. Probation officials refused to comment.
Rabito's latest prison stint was not his first -- he served a 6½-year sentence in the '80s on drug charges in the wake of the Donnie Brasco case, when FBI agent Joe Pistone infiltrated the Bonanno family.
One of Rabito's underlings didn't mince words when describing his boss' tough side, saying, "Anthony is as serious as cancer. He's a stickler for f- - -in' things. Don't underestimate that f- - -in' guy 'cause he's got a cane . . . He's an old, old hoodlum. He really is," according to a taped conversation.
Rabito, who served in the Korean War, insists he's a legitimate businessman.
"I'm a pimp? I'm a gambler?" he said to his friend. "They'll say anything."
Meanwhile, instead of tucking into Bamonte's mussels, Rabito often eats at home, where the house specialties include his own scungili and puttanesca. It's not Rao's famous lemon chicken, but it's still better than what he ate in prison.
"I didn't eat their food," he said. "I wouldn't eat it. It's awful. All I ate was rice, rice, rice."
Always one to see the upside, he added, "But I lost 60 pounds!"
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08022009/news/regionalnews/feds_say__fugedabout_eat_182593.htm?&page=1
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