Visiting New York - Where to Find Wiseguys.

[gohnjotti]

Fortunato Brothers Bakery was great, good coffee and good pastries. Alleged murderer and Genovese associate Mario ‘the Baker’ Fortunato was there talking to three old men, all of whom speaking Italian. Myself and Mario & Co. were the only people there and they kept staring at me (although maybe it’s because I was staring at them).

[SonnyBlackstein]

Fortunato Brothers Bakery was great, good coffee and good pastries. Alleged murderer and Genovese associate Mario ‘the Baker’ Fortunato was there talking to three old men, all of whom speaking Italian. Myself and Mario & Co. were the only people there and they kept staring at me (although maybe it’s because I was staring at them).

Great stuff mate.

Enjoying your rundowns!

[gohnjotti]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

[stubbs]

If you’re still near Williamsburg, Carmine’s Pizza is really good and a couple blocks from where Sonny Black’s Motion Lounge was, where Pistone was undercover.

[NJShore4Life]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

Just curious what country you are visiting us from?

[SonnyBlackstein]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

Just curious what country you are visiting us from?

He’s from New Zealand.



He’d prefer it if you didn’t laugh.

[gohnjotti]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

Just curious what country you are visiting us from?

He’s from New Zealand.



He’d prefer it if you didn’t laugh.

This coming from a bloody Aussie.


But yeah I do have to try Carmine’s Pizza. I remember someone on the forum saying that Franzese was hanging out there after his release from prison. He lived in Greenpoint with his daughter after he got out in 2017.
Don’t worry fellas, I get that I’m not going to see the 102-year-old Colombo underboss whose currently working on a documentary about his life. I may be a tourist but I’m not that ignorant.

I appreciate the surprisingly respectful manner from all you New Yorkers on the forum though. I’m not oblivious to how cringy it is.

[Moscone65]

It’s not that cringy, your getting to experience something that is basically not found in New Zealand. If I were to go to New York I’d be having my eyes out for wiseguys too.

[HairyKnuckles]

Fortunato Brothers Bakery was great, good coffee and good pastries. Alleged murderer and Genovese associate Mario ‘the Baker’ Fortunato was there talking to three old men, all of whom speaking Italian. Myself and Mario & Co. were the only people there and they kept staring at me (although maybe it’s because I was staring at them).

Just don´t ask them what their problem is....

[NJShore4Life]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

Just curious what country you are visiting us from?

He’s from New Zealand.



He’d prefer it if you didn’t laugh.

This coming from a bloody Aussie.


But yeah I do have to try Carmine’s Pizza. I remember someone on the forum saying that Franzese was hanging out there after his release from prison. He lived in Greenpoint with his daughter after he got out in 2017.
Don’t worry fellas, I get that I’m not going to see the 102-year-old Colombo underboss whose currently working on a documentary about his life. I may be a tourist but I’m not that ignorant.

I appreciate the surprisingly respectful manner from all you New Yorkers on the forum though. I’m not oblivious to how cringy it is.

Try and use that exotic New Zealand Accent around here to get laid .

There’s nothing better than banging a Staten Island Broad named Gina in full leopard print clothes and big hoop earrings.....

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

Fortunato Brothers Bakery was great, good coffee and good pastries. Alleged murderer and Genovese associate Mario ‘the Baker’ Fortunato was there talking to three old men, all of whom speaking Italian. Myself and Mario & Co. were the only people there and they kept staring at me (although maybe it’s because I was staring at them).

Just don´t ask them what their problem is....
[/quote


that's funny!! also be sure to look them directly
in the eye when saying it. don't look away at all.
BTW, going to New Zealand is near the top of my
bucket list. The travel shows/docs I have watched
show an amazing country, with lots of wonders to behold.

[gohnjotti]

I’d urge anyone to go to NZ, it really is a beautiful country - warning, spend as little time in Auckland as possible. It’s our largest city and the location of our main international airport and a lot of tourists make the mistake of staying there. No disrespect against Auckland but it’s a stinking shithole full of immigrants from China and India with few redeeming qualities in terms of tourism.

Meanwhile, I got a bagel from Bagels Plus this morning. Seems to be operated by Mexicans despite Vincent Badalsmenti owning it. Then I went to Caffe Italia which was great - decent coffee and full of elderly Sicilian men. There was a back room too where guys in adidas tracksuits and windbreakers were shuffling in and out of.

[bert]

Fortunato Brothers Bakery was great, good coffee and good pastries. Alleged murderer and Genovese associate Mario ‘the Baker’ Fortunato was there talking to three old men, all of whom speaking Italian. Myself and Mario & Co. were the only people there and they kept staring at me (although maybe it’s because I was staring at them).

He's no longer an alleged murderer, not only was his conviction overturned, he sued and get money for a wrongful conviction. The pasties there are the best. I am curious, are you a little surprised at any unexpected expectations of New York, Mafia wise or other? In the other category I am talking about expecting neighborhoods to have a certain demographic and being totally different?

[bert]

Gohnjotti, when you were in Astoria, if you had walked 8 blocks west from Polito's Pizza, you would have come to the spot where Joe N. Gallo used to hang out. It was not a social club, but a candy store. It's still there, but Arabs have owned and run it for 35 years, but you could have seen the spot where he stood at for a few of the surveillance photos of him standing were taken. While it is not like seeing him, or anyone, you were only a 5 minute walk away.

[Flushing]

Cheers Sonny.

Had brunch at the Sunset Diner. From the 2013 bust of Nicholas Santora and his Graham Avenue Crew:
“The Sunset Diner in Greenpoint and the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens were favorite meeting spots, a source said.”
Food was pretty good, great atmosphere.

I’m almost convinced I saw Bonanno soldier Paul Spina but it could’ve been any fat guy with a hooked nose.

I am curious which Jackson hole diner they mean. There are two.

One is in Jackson Heights by LaGuardia. It makes sense that they would meet there because it is a quick few exits up from Greenpoint off the BQE. Also makes sense that they would meet there since Santora had ties to the Romanello Genovese crew, who historically ran Jackson Heights.

The other Jackson hole diner is in Bayside. It's directly across the street from tratoria 35 ristorante, where many bonanno gangsters were taped and photographed recently. So that location makes sense too.