Answer: the 2 places Matty Ianniello didn't own

A question for you guys...
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Which two of the following eight licensed establishments does not belong here? Matty "The Horse" Ianniello owned or held hidden interest in all but two of these places. Which two didn't he own?

1. Umberto's Clam House
2. The Metropole Cafe
3. The Sapphire Room
4. The Cat's Eye
5. The Peppermint Lounge
6. Matty's Townhouse Cafe
7. S.P.Q.R.
8. Figaro's Cafe

An interesting way for you mob aficionados to start the week.

He owned Umbertos, SPQR was owned by a Mike Sabella, I don't think he had any ownership in the rest of what's listed. Maybe the cafe? It's easy to say a person had a hidden in terse in a place, because since it is hidden how can it be disproven?

The one I am pretty sure he did not own was the Peppermint Lounge.

Because of their unsavory reputations and criminal arrest records, 99% of guys always have someone else on the ownership papers and liquor license. So that's not even a thing. Matty wasn't listed on any companies whatsoever through the years.

I will provide all the answers of course. But I wanna wait until others here have a chance to place their answers.

I'm inclined to say the Peppermint Lounge and Metropole Cafe. He had the Metropole bombed out right? Guess he could have taken over after though.

I had thought SPQR was one of Perry Criscitelli's restaurants. Was Matty a partner? I would actually be a little surprised if Matty the Horse would have had a partner from the Bonannos but who knows? Criscitelli seemed relatively low profile, I don't even think he was identified as a member until around 2005.

He was not the on the record owner of Umberto's because he was denied a license in the 1950's, so it was under his brother's name. I have to ask, are you going to give us sources for how you know which places he owned?

I will provide the correct answers tomorrow, after everyone who cares to take a stab at the correct answers does so.

I would say Umbertos, which was owned by his father and the Metropole Cafe

I thought he had it under his brother's name, maybe that was elsewhere.

Later this afternoon I'll post up the correct answers. Ok guys.

The correct answers to my quiz for the "two" licensed establishments that Matty Ianniello was never affiliated with were;

1. Figaro's Cafe (Greenwich Village, which at one time was under the influence of Vito Genovese and "Tony Bender" Strollo)
2. The Sapphire Room (Jackson Heights, which Lucchese capos Joe Lucchese and Joe Laratro held hidden interests in)

The other six places were held local, stock, and barrel, by Ianniello through various frontmen such as his brothers Oscar and Bobby and other "beards" he propped "up front" over the years to hide his true ownership and to obtain the liquor licenses.

Did'nt he own the Stonewall Inn as well?

Off the top of my head I honestly don't remember. But I did a fairly extensive bio on Ianniello that listed many of his places. But I can tell you this. He was involved in dozens of licensed establishments through the years (literally). So its quite possible he did have a piece of the place.