by gohnjotti » Sun Aug 11, 2019 10:07 pm
Not your usual Colombo Mafia article, fellas. This one covers the story of Angelo Giangrande, the originator of the grandma-style pizza, who was indicted in 2008 alongside Tommy Gioeli, Sonny Franzese, and other family bigwigs. I've tried to write this article to appeal to a more mainstream audience; New Yorkers that are less well-versed on the Mafia than us on the forum, so bear that in mind if I oversimplify or "dumb things down."
As always, let me know of any inaccuracies/typos/constructive criticism/pizza-related puns I should use. I appreciate all the criticism I get.
Long Island's best-kept culinary secret is finally catching on. Over the past decade, the grandma-style pizza - square, thin, and crispy - has surged in popularity among foodie circles. What was once a Long Island cult favorite has slowly crept to the rest of New York, and now further along the East Coast. In September of 2008, back when the grandma pizza renaissance was starting, Long Island's Newsday narrowed down the originators of the pizza to three Italian-born Long Islanders; Umberto Corteo, Ciro Cesarano, and Angelo Giangrande. It's not that the three invented the centuries-old pizza but instead brought it into the mainstream. In a nutshell, the story goes; Umberto developed his take on the pizza back in the 1970s at his restaurant. Two of his employees, Ciro and Angelo, "saw its potential," and put the grandma-style pizza on the menu. After it caught on, the pair both branched out into their own successful pizzeria ventures.
In 1991, Angelo Giangrande started Cugini's Pizzeria in Mineola. He honed his craft and developed a unique style of the grandma-slice, which his brother Mario helped spread across the Island. In 2000, with his two cousins Angelo and Antonio Franzella, Giangrande founded a second pizza parlor, "Cugini Due," in the nearby township of Albertson.
But what most food articles don't mention when discussing Giangrande is how his career took a dark turn when he started quarreling with his cousins. Things escalated, families were torn. One thing led to another, edging closer and closer to violence, until the FBI kicked in Giangrande's door at 6 AM on June 4, 2008. How did Angelo Giangrande, the pizzamaker who made culinary history on Long Island, end up in a Brooklyn courtroom, stood next to a mob boss accused of six murders?
It all started in 2000, when Giangrande and his cousins bought 815 Willis Ave., Albertson, for $525,000, taking a hefty loan from the bank. Money was tight, and there wasn't much to go around between the three co-owners. Proving time-and-time again that business and family don't mix, things went sour. Sources say the dispute reached a boiling point for several reasons; Tony Franzella gave Giangrande "a beating" in front of his son, and then began telling people "Tony was going to throw Angelo out of both places," meaning he would cut Giangrande out of both Cujini restaurants.
Although not too adept with his fists, Giangrande had one thing that the Franzella Brothers didn't. He had what prosecutors called a "criminal association" with John 'Sonny' Franzese, a legendary caporegime (captain) in the Colombo crime family, the smallest but most violent Mafia group in New York City. Angelo approached the Franzella Bros. with an almost-mocking offer to buy them out of both restaurants for $300,000. It's unknown what both restaurants valued at, but court documents note that the Willis Ave. building itself cost a cool half-million.
Read the full article here, exclusive to thecolombomafia.com:
https://thecolombomafia.com/the-grandma ... nd-the-mobNot your usual Colombo Mafia article, fellas. This one covers the story of Angelo Giangrande, the originator of the grandma-style pizza, who was indicted in 2008 alongside Tommy Gioeli, Sonny Franzese, and other family bigwigs. I've tried to write this article to appeal to a more mainstream audience; New Yorkers that are less well-versed on the Mafia than us on the forum, so bear that in mind if I oversimplify or "dumb things down."
As always, let me know of any inaccuracies/typos/constructive criticism/pizza-related puns I should use. I appreciate all the criticism I get.
Long Island's best-kept culinary secret is finally catching on. Over the past decade, the grandma-style pizza - square, thin, and crispy - has surged in popularity among foodie circles. What was once a Long Island cult favorite has slowly crept to the rest of New York, and now further along the East Coast. In September of 2008, back when the grandma pizza renaissance was starting, Long Island's Newsday narrowed down the originators of the pizza to three Italian-born Long Islanders; Umberto Corteo, Ciro Cesarano, and Angelo Giangrande. It's not that the three invented the centuries-old pizza but instead brought it into the mainstream. In a nutshell, the story goes; Umberto developed his take on the pizza back in the 1970s at his restaurant. Two of his employees, Ciro and Angelo, "saw its potential," and put the grandma-style pizza on the menu. After it caught on, the pair both branched out into their own successful pizzeria ventures.
In 1991, Angelo Giangrande started Cugini's Pizzeria in Mineola. He honed his craft and developed a unique style of the grandma-slice, which his brother Mario helped spread across the Island. In 2000, with his two cousins Angelo and Antonio Franzella, Giangrande founded a second pizza parlor, "Cugini Due," in the nearby township of Albertson.
But what most food articles don't mention when discussing Giangrande is how his career took a dark turn when he started quarreling with his cousins. Things escalated, families were torn. One thing led to another, edging closer and closer to violence, until the FBI kicked in Giangrande's door at 6 AM on June 4, 2008. How did Angelo Giangrande, the pizzamaker who made culinary history on Long Island, end up in a Brooklyn courtroom, stood next to a mob boss accused of six murders?
It all started in 2000, when Giangrande and his cousins bought 815 Willis Ave., Albertson, for $525,000, taking a hefty loan from the bank. Money was tight, and there wasn't much to go around between the three co-owners. Proving time-and-time again that business and family don't mix, things went sour. Sources say the dispute reached a boiling point for several reasons; Tony Franzella gave Giangrande "a beating" in front of his son, and then began telling people "Tony was going to throw Angelo out of both places," meaning he would cut Giangrande out of both Cujini restaurants.
Although not too adept with his fists, Giangrande had one thing that the Franzella Brothers didn't. He had what prosecutors called a "criminal association" with John 'Sonny' Franzese, a legendary caporegime (captain) in the Colombo crime family, the smallest but most violent Mafia group in New York City. Angelo approached the Franzella Bros. with an almost-mocking offer to buy them out of both restaurants for $300,000. It's unknown what both restaurants valued at, but court documents note that the Willis Ave. building itself cost a cool half-million.
Read the full article here, exclusive to thecolombomafia.com:
https://thecolombomafia.com/the-grandma-slice-and-the-mob