OT: Ravenite Social Club

[JayDogSmooth]

Every time I’m in Little Italy, I always walk past the old Ravenite

It’s amazing what used to transpire there, along Mulberry and all through a little Italy.

I stood in the doorway where John once walked through and legitimately got goosebumps

I’ve also stood in the exact spot where Gotti and Sammy the Bull had Big Paul and Tommy Belodi taken out

Similar feeling with goosebumps and imagining what it would have been like to be alive and active in NYC during those times

 

[T2Kplus20]

Every time I’m in Little Italy, I always walk past the old Ravenite

It’s amazing what used to transpire there, along Mulberry and all through a little Italy.

I stood in the doorway where John once walked through and legitimately got goosebumps

I’ve also stood in the exact spot where Gotti and Sammy the Bull had Big Paul and Tommy Belodi taken out

Similar feeling with goosebumps and imagining what it would have been like to be alive and active in NYC during those times

The Netflix "Get Gotti" is a wonderful documentary. Lots of content from the Ravenite Club.

 

[e5fdny]

Every time I’m in Little Italy, I always walk past the old Ravenite

It’s amazing what used to transpire there, along Mulberry and all through a little Italy.

I stood in the doorway where John once walked through and legitimately got goosebumps

I’ve also stood in the exact spot where Gotti and Sammy the Bull had Big Paul and Tommy Belotti taken out

Similar feeling with goosebumps and imagining what it would have been like to be alive and active in NYC during those times

I had my men check the hydrant in front of Paul Castellano's "White House" in 2004 and they still whispered when walking by it..."Hey boss, you know whose house this is?" LOL

And I know Tommy's daughter.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

The Netflix "Get Gotti" is a wonderful documentary. Lots of content from the Ravenite Club.

I’ve been meaning to watch that one

 

[JayDogSmooth]

I had my men check the hydrant in front of Paul Castellano's "White House" in 2004 and they still whispered when walking by it..."Hey boss, you know whose house this is?" LOL

And I know Tommy's daughter.

Up on Toad Hill
I passed it once - it’s a beautiful house

 

[RU848789]

Every time I’m in Little Italy, I always walk past the old Ravenite

It’s amazing what used to transpire there, along Mulberry and all through a little Italy.

I stood in the doorway where John once walked through and legitimately got goosebumps

I’ve also stood in the exact spot where Gotti and Sammy the Bull had Big Paul and Tommy Belodi taken out

Similar feeling with goosebumps and imagining what it would have been like to be alive and active in NYC during those times

Have been an occasional patron at Sparks Steakhouse since the late 80s. That's the place Paul Castellanos was gunned down in 1985 by Gotti's men (allegedly); started going there every year for awhile after we first took our son there when he was around 9 (2003) for his birthday and he loved it.

Also, my hometown was heavily South Philly Italian and I didn't really know what the mafia was until I was in my early teens hanging out with a friend of mine whose family lived in a gaudy palace of a house. His dad was in "waste management" - didn't know what that was code for until another friend explained it to me. Rarely saw his dad, but after finding out I was always a little nervous when I was at their house, lol.

 

[ashokan]

I never had the fascination with mafias.
Drug dealers, murderers - some just like horror pic guys - chopping people up etc. Good lord.
The post WWII city guys were fascinated by mob (maybe like drug kingpins for people in South America). Look at Sinatra and that gang thinking mob was cool. That was big in 40s-60s.

Conversely, the mafia probably shouldn't have been eradicated - the vaccum was just filled in with Mexican cartels and Russians etc.

 

[RUPete]

Have been an occasional patron at Sparks Steakhouse since the late 80s. That's the place Paul Castellanos was gunned down in 1985 by Gotti's men (allegedly); started going there every year for awhile after we first took our son there when he was around 9 (2003) for his birthday and he loved it.

Also, my hometown was heavily South Philly Italian and I didn't really know what the mafia was until I was in my early teens hanging out with a friend of mine whose family lived in a gaudy palace of a house. His dad was in "waste management" - didn't know what that was code for until another friend explained it to me. Rarely saw his dad, but after finding out I was always a little nervous when I was at their house, lol.

So, it’s possible for a restaurant to survive after a hit? I guess there was no need for Tony to torch Artie’s restaurant to prevent Junior from doing a hit there.

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Have been an occasional patron at Sparks Steakhouse since the late 80s. That's the place Paul Castellanos was gunned down in 1985 by Gotti's men (allegedly); started going there every year for awhile after we first took our son there when he was around 9 (2003) for his birthday and he loved it.

Also, my hometown was heavily South Philly Italian and I didn't really know what the mafia was until I was in my early teens hanging out with a friend of mine whose family lived in a gaudy palace of a house. His dad was in "waste management" - didn't know what that was code for until another friend explained it to me. Rarely saw his dad, but after finding out I was always a little nervous when I was at their house, lol.

Township definitely has a lot of guys from "the neighborhood"
Love the South Philly Italian market - reminds me of Little Italy in the Bronx with the vibe

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

So, it’s possible for a restaurant to survive after a hit? I guess there was no need for Tony to torch Artie’s restaurant to prevent Junior from doing a hit there.

Besides Sparks, Umberto's in Little Italy and Joe & Mary's in Brooklyn both survived after hits

If anything, it elevates the place up a notch or 2

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

I never had the fascination with mafias.
Drug dealers, murderers - some just like horror pic guys - chopping people up etc. Good lord.
The post WWII city guys were fascinated by mob (maybe like drug kingpins for people in South America). Look at Sinatra and that gang thinking mob was cool. That was big in 40s-60s.

Conversely, the mafia probably shouldn't have been eradicated - the vaccum was just filled in with Mexican cartels and Russians etc.

I love history so I always like to go where historic things happened

Rocky steps at Art Museum & where he stood at Pat's cheesesteaks in Philly are two really cool places

I imagine walking the route where JFK was shot in Dallas has to be eerie

 

[RUPete]

Besides Sparks, Umberto's in Little Italy and Joe & Mary's in Brooklyn both survived after hits

If anything, it elevates the place up a notch or 2

Joe and Mary’s - is that where Carmine Galante was hit with a cigar in his mouth?

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Joe and Mary’s - is that where Carmine Galante was hit with a cigar in his mouth?

Yep that's the place
One of the most memorable pictures of all time

 

[newell138]

Township definitely has a lot of guys from "the neighborhood"
Love the South Philly Italian market - reminds me of Little Italy in the Bronx with the vibe

I have one of them living next door to me here in OC. Honestly he and his wife are the 2 nicest people I've ever met. He's about 80 or so and some of the stories he tells me.... If he goes away for the day his wife sits on the porch with a pistol next to her. One night I was over there helping him move some stuff around in his house and see a rather large gun cabinet. He proceeds to show me whats inside... enough ammo for a small army, a dozen handguns, AR15, sawed off shotgun, etc

His son in law looks like Vito from the Sopranos and owns about 4 blocks in S. Philly that he rents out to various businesses along with a cement business.

 

[colbert17]

I remember right after the Castellano hit, Stern called Spark's and asked for a reservation in the "No Shooting" section.

 

[colbert17]

Back when I was a kid Sam "The Plumber" DeCavalcante would make occasional stops outside a social club in The Burg in Elizabeth.

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

The Chin's social club on Sullivan Street is now another business as well

Fun fact, when you're there, facing the old club, look left and you have an unimpeded view of the Freedom Tower, and look right to see a full view of the Empire State Building

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

I imagine walking the route where JFK was shot in Dallas has to be eerie

There's an "X" painted on the street where he was shot. I've stood on that (can't find the picture).

 

[colbert17]

There's an "X" painted on the street where he was shot. I've stood on that (can't find the picture).

 

[colbert17]

There's an "X" painted on the street where he was shot. I've stood on that (can't find the picture).

I stood on the spot in the street where the Buddhist monk immolated himself to protest the South Vietnamese government in 1963 in Saigon. There is a small park and monument to him today in HCMC.

 

[T2Kplus20]

I stood on the spot in the street where the Buddhist monk immolated himself to protest the South Vietnamese government in 1963 in Saigon. There is a small park and monument to him today in HCMC.

That guy certainly walked the walk, not just the talk.

 

[e5fdny]

Back when I was a kid Sam "The Plumber" DeCavalcante would make occasional stops outside a social club in The Burg in Elizabeth.

We had Nick "The Electrician" by me.

And I can remember another one, not sure who he was but everyone else did - lol, who would hold "meetings" in the middle of the street and people would just drive around him. Including school busses. No one ever beeped their horns or said anything when they drove past.

 

[RU_DIO]

Back when I was a kid Sam "The Plumber" DeCavalcante would make occasional stops outside a social club in The Burg in Elizabeth.

I was born in Peterstown (The Burg). The boys ran the town and kept the area safe.

 

[krup]

I found it more interesting, living in Central Jersey a lot if my life, the places I frequented that seemed totally normal but were part of pivotal events involving the mafia.

The Italian restaurant in the old Menlo Park Mall, and the Friendly’s restaurant in Hamilton Twp that both turned out to be regular neutral meeting spots between the NY and Philly factions.

The road I biked in Robbinville that bordered a golf course for some distance, that turned out to be where Sammy the Bull grabbed a guy off the course in one of his hits.

A place in Clark where I used to just get pizza turned out to be trafficking drugs as part of the Pizza Connection case.

 

[toby83]

Back when I was a kid Sam "The Plumber" DeCavalcante would make occasional stops outside a social club in The Burg in Elizabeth.

Ribera! is it still there??

 

[RU_DIO]

I found it more interesting, living in Central Jersey a lot if my life, the places I frequented that seemed totally normal but were part of pivotal events involving the mafia.

The Italian restaurant in the old Menlo Park Mall, and the Friendly’s restaurant in Hamilton Twp that both turned out to be regular neutral meeting spots between the NY and Philly factions.

The road I biked in Robbinville that bordered a golf course for some distance, that turned out to be where Sammy the Bull grabbed a guy off the course in one of his hits.

A place in Clark where I used to just get pizza turned out to be trafficking drugs as part of the Pizza Connection case.

Weirder yet for me was when it was my friends dad's and relatives I would read up about or watch documentaries on them.

 

[toby83]

DeCavalcante used to own the old Rockafellas in Ortley Beach, Palermo family

 

[RU_DIO]

DeCavalcante used to own the old Rockafellas in Ortley Beach, Palermo family

My wifes friends husband was good friends with him.

 

[Plum Street]

Friend had a roofing business with his old man in Richmondtown in the 70s. They had a partnership with Tommy Biloti, and that partnership pretty much went one way. There was stuff like drop everything and go do the roof at castellano’s niece’s house, which they wouldn’t get paid for. Biloti was a mean m’fer.
But it was just the cost of doing business and getting some bigger jobs.
Friend got out of the roofing business!

 

[RUGuitarMan]

I worked in NYC from ‘84 -91. It was a crazy time, very interesting for a young guy in his 20s. I never really understood the fascination with Gotti, the mob, etc. Many romanticize the thug stuff. It’s fantasy, the reality is not cool or smart. Interestingly, my wife grew up on the east side near the Seaport.My father in law (long gone) belonged to a local “social club”. Some low level mob guys hung out there at times. He didn’t romanticize that stuff either.

 

[toby83]

My wifes friends husband was good friends with him.

i vaguely remember after the big bust in 2015 they turned the apartments above the restaurant (there were 3 or 4) into one large apartment for one the family members that had to sell the house and move up there.

 

[LETSGORU91]

My wifes friends husband was good friends with him.

"Was"?? Did they take him out?

 

[T2Kplus20]

I found it more interesting, living in Central Jersey a lot if my life, the places I frequented that seemed totally normal but were part of pivotal events involving the mafia.

The Italian restaurant in the old Menlo Park Mall, and the Friendly’s restaurant in Hamilton Twp that both turned out to be regular neutral meeting spots between the NY and Philly factions.

The road I biked in Robbinville that bordered a golf course for some distance, that turned out to be where Sammy the Bull grabbed a guy off the course in one of his hits.

A place in Clark where I used to just get pizza turned out to be trafficking drugs as part of the Pizza Connection case.

Carlo Gambino's lawyer was a long-time resident of Montgomery (Skillman section). Family still owns and lives on the land. 55 acres on the foothills of the Sourland Range. The old man came to the zoning board for an application during my first term in office. The application passed. LOL!

 

[colbert17]

Ribera! is it still there??

I haven't been back to The Burg in over a decade.

 

[RU Diesel07110]

We used to have Friday nite crap games in silver lake section of Belleville until cabert showed up to take over the house. The place was a mechanics shop and games ended when cabert tried making the business a chop shop.