Some Italians in the East Village

That's a photo of John's Italian restaurant on 12th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.  It has been voted as having the best spaghetti and meatballs in the city, but that's not what I want to talk about.  I want to talk about two Italian immigrants who enjoyed dining here in the East Village.  If you've read the book "The Gangs of New York" you will know that some immigrants survived the immigrant experience by joining a gang. Some others already belonged to a gang when they got here.  Joe "the Boss" Masseria, 1887-1931 belonged to the mob when he left Sicily in1903.  He left to avoid being prosecuted for murder.
Joe invited Umberto Valenti for dinner in 1922. Umberto arrived with three of his "boys" and they were met by three of Joey's "boys".  After awhile Valenti realized Masseria, whose nickname had become "the man who can dodge bullets" wasn't showing up and that this was a setup.  Guns were drawn and two of Valenti's men were killed and the third wounded.  Valenti ran out of the restaurant and jumped on a passing taxi's running board.  In those days cars had running boards.  One of Masseria's men took aim and shot him dead in the street.  Joe Masseria was now boss of the Morello crime family which is known today as the Genovese Crime Family.  But "The Boss" wanted more, and head of the Castellamarese would be better.  When he didn't get it, he put out a contract on the man who did.  That started the Castellamarese War and Joe "The Boss" ended getting like he gave; killed in his favorite restaurant in Coney Island, the "Nuova Villa Tammaro", nine years after killing Umberto Valenti.
Another Italian immigrant and frequent visitor to John's Restaurant was Arturo Toscanini, 1867-1957.  Because of his time as musical director of the NBC Orchestra and their performances on radio and TV, Toscanini was a household name in America.  It began when at 20 years of age he was the cellist for the premiere of Verdi's Otello and became friendly with Verdi.  Through that friendship, his photographic memory, and musical genius, Toscanini became principal conductor at La Scala in Milan in 1887.  When Mussolini came to power Toscanini refused to play the "Giovinezza", the fascist anthem, at La Scala.  He was beaten by "blackshirts" and left Italy in 1939 not to return until after the war.  He conducted at the Metropolitan Opera House, 1908-1915, and the New York Philharmonic, 1926-1936.  After many years of fine dining experiences he died at the age of 89 at his home in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.  But with his universally respected recordings, Toscanini still lives.