Umbertos Clam House Little Italy NYC

 

UMBERTO'S CLAM HOUSE

Mulberry Street, LITTLE ITALY

NEW YORK NY

Umberto's Clam House on Mulberry Street in 1972 was a legendary spot in New York City's Little Italy, known for its fresh seafood and vibrant atmosphere. The restaurant had been a local favorite for years, offering classic Italian dishes with a focus on fresh clams and other seafood delicacies. Its location in the heart of Little Italy made it a popular gathering spot for both locals and tourists, who would often come to enjoy the authentic cuisine and the bustling, welcoming vibe.

In 1972, Umberto's was at the peak of its popularity, with the restaurant serving as a staple for anyone looking to experience the culinary traditions of the neighborhood. The warm and inviting ambiance of the restaurant made it a place to unwind with friends and family while enjoying some of the finest seafood in New York. It became an institution, beloved by generations of patrons who appreciated its commitment to quality and tradition.

Despite changes over the years, Umberto's Clam House remained a symbol of Little Italy's rich cultural heritage. Its influence was so strong that it would go on to inspire future generations of Italian-American restaurateurs, while continuing to serve as a key destination for those seeking an authentic taste of the neighborhood's history. The restaurant, which was also the site of notable events, like the famous mob-related shooting in the 1970s, is forever tied to the storied past of New York City's iconic Little Italy.

In Little Italy, Umberto's Clam House is known for its ambiance of butcher-block tables and zesty dishes of calamari, scungilli and mussels. It is also notorious as the setting for the final and fatal gun battle of one mobster, Joseph (Crazy Joey) Gallo and as the hangout of a another, Matthew (Matty the Horse) Ianniello, a former Mafia kingpin now in prison.

But after seven years of tight supervision by the Federal Government, the daily management and control of the restaurant soon will be largely returned to Mr. Ianniello's brother, Robert, according to lawyers and officials who are negotiating a court agreement.

A lawyer for Robert Ianniello said the changes are necessary because the Government's intervention in the delicate art of Italian cuisine has brought lean times and red ink to Umberto's.

"What this proves is that the Government has no place in the restaurant business," the lawyer, Gerald Shargel, said in an interview. 

Soon after Umberto's opened in early 1972, Mr. Gallo, the leader of a violence-prone faction in the Colombo crime family, was gunned down there on April 7, 1972, while celebrating his 43d birthday. Bullet holes from gunfire exchanged between the assassins and Mr. Gallo's bodyguards remain as scars on the doorway of a tenement on Mulberry Street, directly across the street from the restaurant.

In addition to a conviction in 1988 on racketeering charges, Matthew Ianniello and eight other men were convicted in 1985 on separate charges of skimming $2 million from Umberto's and a number of other Manhattan restaurants and bars. Matthew Ianniello, 73, who was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a capo in the Genovese crime family, is serving a 13-year prison term for racketeering. 

Soon after Umberto's opened in early 1972, Mr. Gallo, the leader of a violence-prone faction in the Colombo crime family, was gunned down there on April 7, 1972, while celebrating his 43d birthday. Bullet holes from gunfire exchanged between the assassins and Mr. Gallo's bodyguards remain as scars on the doorway of a tenement on Mulberry Street, directly across the street from the restaurant.

In addition to a conviction in 1988 on racketeering charges, Matthew Ianniello and eight other men were convicted in 1985 on separate charges of skimming $2 million from Umberto's and a number of other Manhattan restaurants and bars. Matthew Ianniello, 73, who was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a capo in the Genovese crime family, is serving a 13-year prison term for racketeering.