New York City and the mafia basically go hand-in-hand. As much as New York does not want to admit it, our ties are deeply connected to the gangs that used to — and in some cases, still — roam the streets. Here are ten mob hangouts throughout history: some may be closed, but they are certainly not forgotten.
1. Rao’s
Rao’s originally opened its Harlem location in 1896. It was a famous spot for wiseguys and gangsters throughout the place’s long history: with the likes of Lucky Luciano and John Gotti allegedly dining there. However, it is also a famous place in general, with celebrities and officers dining there as well: it was even featured in The Wolf of Wall Street.
But what made Rao’s a really notorious mob hangout was the incident that happened in 2003, when Louis ‘Louie Lump Lump’ Barone, an associate, murdered Albert Circelli, a “made man” in the Lucchese crime family. It was reportedly prompted because Circelli threw insults at a singer.