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December 8, 2008

Restaurateur Gets Wrist Slap For Laundering Money

marco-polo-1208.jpg
Earlier this year, Marco Polo, a Carroll Gardens Italian restaurant from "way back in the day" (how long has it been there?) opened a new take-out shop. But the big news there now has nothing to do with brick oven pizza or linguine. The owner, Joseph Chirico, reputed to be a soldier in the Gambino crime family, has been convicted of money laundering for the mob, but his sentence is surprisingly light: six month's house arrest, with 10 hours a day allowed at his restaurant, writes the NY Daily News. The reason for the short, sweet sentence: friends in high places. The Beeps, current (Markowitz) and former (Golden) sent "glowing letters" of reference for Chirico. The judge said he was swayed by Chirico's character. Maybe the linguine's not bad, either.
Mob-tied Brooklyn Restaurateur Avoids Jail [NY Daily News]
Photo by indiamos.




Posted by lisa at 9:33 AM | Comments (30)
Categories: Carroll Gardens, Restaurants

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Comments

So that sign is for dirty money?

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at December 8, 2008 9:42 AM

That house arrest sounds strikingly similar to my day-to-day existence.

Posted by: lowintheheights at December 8, 2008 9:43 AM

I'm gonna guess its been there 25 years.

Posted by: Santa at December 8, 2008 9:52 AM

"way back in the day" is only 1983.

Posted by: Petebklyn at December 8, 2008 9:54 AM

Just over 25 years.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 8, 2008 9:54 AM

In fact the linguine is excellent!

Posted by: denton at December 8, 2008 9:56 AM

Yeah but do they make a good TRADITIONAL carbonara????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 8, 2008 10:02 AM

It's all in the sauce!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at December 8, 2008 10:10 AM

Gotta love that "family" restaurant! Hey, those fellas (the "good" variety) definitely know how to eat well, and the food in there is old-school fantastic.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at December 8, 2008 10:11 AM

I am shocked by this ... SHOCKED I say!
Love the whitestone "brickface" though.

Posted by: Mr Joist at December 8, 2008 10:22 AM

Had buisness meetings at that place a few times. The food is excellent.

Posted by: troll at December 8, 2008 10:22 AM

I guess no one noticed "Celebrating our 25th" in the picture.

Posted by: an at December 8, 2008 10:26 AM

I guess that's how I knew "just over 25 years."

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 8, 2008 10:28 AM

SHOCKING. Just, shocking! (spoken in the same indignant tone as the cute, old, "crazy as a loon" judge on Boston Legal.

Posted by: Nokilissa at December 8, 2008 10:32 AM

Judge Jack Weinstein is a Namby Pamby.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 8, 2008 10:45 AM

Final episode of Boston Legal tonight.
Boo Hoo.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at December 8, 2008 10:52 AM

BRG!

RIGHT? I am going to go into withdrawal.
(thumbs twiddling)

Posted by: Nokilissa at December 8, 2008 11:00 AM

I will miss their Neapolitan-style pizza when I move to Bed-Stuy. Thank god Saraghina is opening up there.

Posted by: Susan Elkins at December 8, 2008 11:09 AM

Susan...I had the pizza at Saraghina...he was open one ecening for a tasting. It'll be one of the best pizzas you've ever had!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 8, 2008 11:12 AM

... and Brownstoner was never seen or heard from again.

Posted by: Lothar of the Clinton Hill People at December 8, 2008 11:15 AM

Boston Legal:
Hubby is a big fan of the show. I only caught it occasionally, and enjoyed it.

Is the food at Marco Polo that good? Maybe, I'll go, and as I'm dropping my $100, in the back of mind, I'll think it's probably going to an off-shore account.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at December 8, 2008 11:27 AM

Whats even more SHOCKING ( nudge nudge wink wink ) is that Marty and other Brooklyn dignitaries would turn a blind eye.

Oh Marty, so transparent.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at December 8, 2008 11:33 AM

The mob? In Carroll Gardens???
Well I never.


Posted by: sam at December 8, 2008 12:13 PM

hmmm. death or the legal system? i'd probably take the second choice also.

Posted by: BrooklynLove at December 8, 2008 12:36 PM

This story has had me cracking up all weekend. I don't think writing a letter on the behalf of a mobster is turning blind eye, PS! It's outright support!

Naughty naughty mobsters [finger wagging].

Posted by: cobblehiller at December 8, 2008 12:40 PM

The Mob built this borough and in a larger sense, built NYC. Mob is a relative and much bigger term. All municipal governments are corrupt and criminal somewhere down the line. Its the nature of government.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at December 8, 2008 12:50 PM

The Mob certainly protected and preserved Carroll Gardens. Once upon a time, you could walk those streets day or night without fear.

If the economy really crashes, that is the only hip neighborhood I would consider living in. I'd gladly pay the mob a few grand a year for peace. They certainly would be more effective than the NYPD.


Posted by: Polemicist at December 8, 2008 3:06 PM

Not really Poley, but that's what everyone would like you to think. It's a Carroll Gardens fairy tale/myth. It's not like the mob was on "block patrol" with ouzi's. Certain blocks and certain houses were safer than others. This isn't some made for tv movie. It wasn't the worst, but it certainly wasn't 'safe' walking home. Although getting off the subway at Carroll Street was considered a little safer than Bergen Street, for sure. My parent's house was burglarized a few times in the 70s. And we all had bike's and skateboards and toys ripped off us right out on the street.

Posted by: cobblehiller at December 8, 2008 3:37 PM

What do you get when you cross Ouzo with an Uzi? Ouzis!

I recall a shooting outside Marco Polo a few years ago, was it Gotti's driver?

Posted by: denton at December 8, 2008 4:16 PM

Cobblehiller:

Well, I was just a kid then. But that's what I heard even in the 1980s. Of course, we had a crackhouse down the street on Fifth Avenue, and no one had a car radio... It could very well be what I heard was very much relative.

Still though, I'm all about civilian block patrols - especially if they have automatic weapons.

Posted by: Polemicist at December 8, 2008 4:52 PM

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