The Original Original Ray's Closes in Little Italy
The first Ray's was just called Ray's. It's at 27 Prince Street, and was founded by a guy named Ralph Cuomo (who preferred the name Ray). Well, jeez, I know this place. I've walked by it many times. (Never eaten there.) Had no idea it was the real Ray's. The place is now closing over a dispute over the lease of the building, which was held by Cuomo, who died in 2008.
I learned a lot from the very entertaining Times article. One, he founded the place in 1959. Two, the confusion over which Ray's was the first one began when "In the 1960s, Mr. Cuomo briefly opened a second pizza shop, near East 59th Street, but he sold it, and that shop’s new owner, Rosolino Mangano, kept the name Ray’s. Other Ray’s Pizzas popped up, and Mr. Mangano insisted his was first." (Mangano sounds like a real schnook.) Three, Cuomo was connected to the Luchese family, dealt heroine, was arrested a few times, and spent time in jail.
The writer, Michael Wilson, got one thing right. The most common two words uttered in every pizzeria in town are: "What else?"
Posts
3 comments:
Hope the original Ray's had great pizza. The imitators all seem to feature that gluey fake mozz thing.
I've eaten there a lot and, like Manduacatis, part of the charm is actually having an old Italian grandma like Helen run the joint.
It was never crowded, the staff(which rarely changed) were friendly and before all these silly artisanal pizzas sprung up, Ray's was selling ricotta pizzas and Hawaiian pizzas.
The heroin part was no big deal. They sold wholesale and there were no skells around. Unlike the Dominican bodega on the corner of Mott and Prince down the block that trafficked in coke in the 90s. That drew a rougher element.
But I still prefer that element to those frou-frou boutiques catering to precious little hipster darlings in what they now call "Nolita" Ugh!
Best pizza around, none better will you find.
Post a Comment