I'd like to visit the restaurant "Louis" in the Bronx. I know that wasn't the name of the real restaurant, but what is it currently called now? Anyone been there lately? Does it kind of look like how it does in the movie?

Welcome to the boards, turk.

The restaurant is long gone (it closed about a year after the movie was filmed there) but the building itself still remains. Its now a storefront church - The Bethel Church of God. Its located near White Plains Rd. and Gun Hill Rd. Its under the "el" (elevated subway) at #3510 White Plains Rd.

Its only a few blocks east of The Bronx River Pkwy.

Is the toilet still there?

No, but the tape from the gun still is.


Don Cardi

Don't you mean the tape from the holster??

Not only is the tape from the gun and the holster still there, but the box that the holster came in is there with a note from Clemenza to remind Michael to drop the gun, drop the gun.

hmmm...sounds like i won't be visiting it. i thought i read that a restaurant was still in there, as well as the tiled floor.

This morning, I had nothing to do, so instead of wrestling with cabin fever, I decided to take a (nearly two hour!) train ride to the Bronx. I wanted to see, once and for all, the location of Louis Italian-American Restaurant - or rather, where the old Luna Restaurant once was. I had been promising myself I would do this for some time now, and today I finally made up my mind to do it.

Well, it was not at the address SC listed above (me dispiace, Consigliere), and it is not a church (it's not a restaurant, either). I noticed in a photo in Harlan Lebo's The Godfather Legacy (on page 153, both editions) that the address is actually 3531 White Plains Road, rather than 3510. (The address 3510 does not exist.) It is now a fabric and notions store ("Try the velour - it's the best in the city!" ), and it is almost directly under the elevated train station. Take the IRT #2 train to the Gun Hill Rd. station, and there you are.

I took several photographs, and when I get them developed I'll try to get them posted for everyone to see.

Signor V.

Signor Vitelli,

Thanks for having the cabin fever and checking that out for us. I can't wait to see your pic's.

Thanks for the correction, Signor Vitelli. I, too, noticed the different address (in the pix in Lebo's book) but I got the address I posted from two different sources while researching this some years ago.

So much for the accuracy of web information.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures.

I would just like to send out my Thanks to you as well Signor Vitelli. For those of us living far out any pictures of the scenes/locations from our favorite movie are greatly appreciated.

My uncle lived in the apartment over the restaurant when he grew up (back in the 1930's/1940's). In the exterior shot of the restaurant, you can see the windows of the apartment.

Now, that is a fascinating coincidence, SB!

So, I guess this means that there was always a restaurant there, until Luna closed up.

Too bad there are no period photographs of the place readily available. I'd love to see what it looked like, way back when.

Signor V.

Now, here is a puzzlement: Mario\'s Restaurant in the Bronx?



I'm not aware of any parts of GF1 being filmed there. Does anyone know what they're referring to? Could this have anything to do with the deleted scene where Clemenza has a long lunch while Paulie and Rocco wait in the car?

Signor V.

I have NO idea. Mario's is an Arthur Avenue institution, but I don't recall anything from The Godfather being filmed there, or even in the neighborhood. Heck, A Bronx Tale, which IS supposed to take place in that section of the Bronx wasn't even filmed there. And the scene with Clemenza was definitely NOT shot in the Belmont section of the Bronx.

Don't believe everything you read on the net. I've learned that you have to take a "fact" and do your own research to detemine how true that "fact" is.

A prime example: Its generally accepted that The Luna Restaurant was the filming location used for the scene in which Mike shoots McCluskey and Sollozzo. I've read online (from a few different sources) that the restaurant closed shortly after the movie was filmed and the building then housed a church. The church's address was 3510 White Plains Rd. (despite your belief that the address doesn't exist). Here's a picture of that church at that address:



Now, all I have to do is to confirm the address for The Luna Restaurant. It can be done simply by checking a 1970 phone book.

I'm not suggesting that the restaurant was NOT at 3531 WPR as you've noted (and is evidenced in "The Godfather Legacy") but I'm saying that no one source can be counted as the gospel without verification.

BTW - The building at 3510 White Plains Rd. now houses a "Furniture Plus Warehouse".

I went to see for myself just what exactly was at the address 3510. There was a Jamaican produce market at 3508, and right next door was a doorway with the address 3512.

Is it possible that 3510 is not where it "should" be?

However, only the building housing the current fabric store conforms to the architecture of what we see in GF1.

Signor V.

Now, thanks to Don Malta's new and improved Boards, I can post the photos I took.

Here goes...

This first picture shows the building as it now looks.

Signor V.
(Capo di tutti Capellini)

Hey, whaddya know - it worked!

Let's try another:

This one shows another angle, and also answered a question that had nagged me for years - namely, why were there windows on the wall behind McCluskey? Answer: there was a gas station (now abandoned) to the left of the building, not another attached store. The windows have been mostly cemented over, but their outlines are more clearly visible in person than in the photo.

Note the support for the elevated train in the foreground.

Signor V.

Signor V, Cool pic. Does anyone have a still of Louie's from the movie? My uncle's family lived in the apartment over that restaurant when he was a kid (talking about the 1930's/40's). Unfortunately, he passed away, so I can't ask for the address.

SB, the address is 3531 White Plains Road, right at the Gun Hill Road station on the #2 IRT train.

Now, as far as a photo of the building from the movie, this is where we all try and prevail (alright, lean) upon our Don to use all his powers (and all that state-of-the-art high-tech equipment I'm sure he owns ) to come up with some nice screen captures for us!

Meanwhile, here is another photo from another angle.

One final photo, taken from high up on the elevated train platform. You can certainly see (and hear) how close the train was to the restaurant.

Signor V.

Thanks for the pics. I always thought it perculiar that it was Tessio that described Louie's instead of Clemenza whose turf was the Bronx.

Signor V, Thanks for the pic's. Those are great. Does the city still use that train?

Those El trains are too funny, Mig. When you live in the city, very close to one (as I did growing up), you learn to just live with it. I remember that if you were in the middle of a conversation when the train came by, you would just stop talking, wait patiently for the train to pass, and then resume your conversation when it was gone. It was just part of life. The noise never bothered me. Now, if I ever visit the old neighborhood (which is rare), I am amazed at how loud it is.

Did pictures ever fall off the walls?

Nope, no pictures ever fell off the walls, although I can't speak for the folks who lived closer. I lived a whole half a block in off the avenue.

If me and Bec ever make it to the city I would like to go there and see the train. What kind of a neighborhood is that now?

We moved out of the Bronx back in the 1970's. Although there are some areas (Throgs Neck, Arthur Avenue, Pelham Bay), that are perfectly safe, I'm not too sure about Gun Hill Road, but I would imagine that it's NOT a good idea to be wandering around if you're don't know where you're going.

Well we wouldn't know where we would be going so maybe you could be our tour guide huh?

2018 Update:

It seems that after many years, the fabric store is no longer there.



Also, notice that the lot next to the store (on the left, previously an abandoned gas station) has been developed.

Not sure if the former restaurant/fabric store is still vacant, but I know some of the original architecture still remained: tile floor, tin ceiling - but, alas, no pull chain toilet.

So, if anyone here knows someone who wants to go into the restaurant business...




Signor V.
("Try the veal...")

Signor you should come to the Godfather locations with me. I find the history interesting too. I actually wanted to know what the bathroom is like but I doubt the ch*nks allowed visitors

Check out this page of the ScoutingNY website. There are lots of pictures and you may have to refresh the page several times for everything to load. This article was posted four years ago, but you'll see the bathroom (among many other things) and how drastically it had changed:

GF NYC Filming Locations Then and Now

A very well-researched article and the photos are great. Seems to put to rest many of the rumors and misinformation out there as far as "where was this or that actually shot?"


Signor V.

Are you gonna continue this crap in all your posts now? Behave yourself.

Thanks Signor and it was a ch*nks laundromat

Forget the racist terms, Japseye. You won't be warned again.

Very Cool.

Since the earlier posts in this thread were made (way back in 2005 - 2006), there has been a wealth of additional information available on the Net that, IMO, settles things once and for all about Louis’ Italian-American Restaurant, its location and history. So, let’s separate fact from fiction:

Fiction: The restaurant seen in the film was actually named Luna, or Luna Azure.

Fact: The name was always Louis, and it was not changed for GF1. The full name of the establishment was Louis’ Italian-American Restaurant. Check out this actual period photograph with NRA signs in the windows:



This NRA stood for the National Recovery Act (not the National Rifle Association), so that would put the date of the photo from mid-1933 to mid-1935, when the NRA was in effect.



Notice how the architecture in the period picture above matches the photo of Francis Ford Coppola taking a break during filming:



There was a Luna restaurant in GF1, but it was not the place where Michael shot Sollozzo and McCluskey; in a deleted scene (restored for the GF Saga and the GF Epic) this was where Clemenza took a long lunch (and got the cannolis) before Paulie was whacked (see photo).



Additional photos of actor Richard Castellano in front of the Luna Restaurant can be found in the book The Annotated Godfather by Jenny M. Jones, page 96. Neither restaurant’s name was altered for the film.

Fact: In an earlier post in this thread, Sicilian Babe noted that her uncle and his family lived directly above Louis' Restaurant, and the name was always Louis. (As I understand, the restaurant was closed by 1977.) Personally speaking, her word was good enough for me, but additional proof is always welcome for the purpose of this post.

Fact: A menu and wine list, circa 1923, still survives! (25 cents for a martini!!) As you can see, the name was always Louis, and note the address – 3531 White Plains Avenue, before the street was renamed White Plains Road. Now in the possession of the Natale family (their relatives owned the restaurant), check out these photos:





If you look closely at the menu's interior, you'll see that on the left-hand page, everything is in English; on the right-hand page, everything is in Italian.



And, now, for what I consider the absolute final word on the subject, you must read this:

Discussion of Louis' Restaurant on Chowhound (This is page 7 of a longer article, but the important stuff starts here, IMO.)

Many of the photos I posted here came from this article.

Conclusion: Based on all the proof available, the restaurant was, and always was until the day it closed: Louis' Italian-American Restaurant. (I know, I know… the 1930’s photo says Loui’s!)

I now step away from the arguing – that is, if there’s still anyone left who wants to argue. That being the case, I know a place where we can sit down and discuss this - and the veal is the best in the city. (Excuse me while I go to the bathroom… is that alright?)


Signor V.

Grazie mille V.

Very cool.

Great post Signor Vitelli. Thanks for sharing. Salud!

Apologies if I've missed the point of the discussion, but Luna Azure is the name of the restaurant in the novel. The one where the hits occur, not where Clemenza has lunch.

On this site's filming locations page it states that the interior shots of the Sollozzo meeting were filmed at the Luna restaurant on White Plains Rd. Is that true?

Excellent post Signor Vitelli, great history lesson.

According to the info provided in Signor Vitelli's post the scene was filmed on White Plains Rd. but the restaurant was named Louis not Luna Azure.

The site's filming location page may be incorrect.

You are correct. Luna Azure is the name of the restaurant in the novel where Michael shoots Solozzo.

Signor Vitelli's post was talking about the film version. It was filmed in Louis Italian American Restaurant. The film version did not change the name of the restaurant to match the name of the restaurant in the novel.

The deleted scene of Clemenza having lunch and picking up the cannoli's were filmed at a Luna Restaurant. I found some information online that it was located on Mulberry St. Not sure how true that is but that is what I read.

Yes, outstanding

If you look closely at the picture posted above of Clemenza exiting the restaurant, you can see the beginnings of what looks like an L on the restaurant's window. So it very well could be named Luna since it doesn't look at all like Louis'

There is a Ristorante Luna located at 115 Mulberry St. Looking on google maps street view off to the left side there is a little Franciscan Fathers Church of the most precious blood that looks like it was built after the movie was filmed. This looks like it is built on the parking lot in the deleted scene where Paulie parks and waits with the car while Clemenza gets out walks around the corner to walk in the restaurant.

Quite right - it is the "L" in Luna, written in longhand script. In the book I mentioned earlier, there are three other photos, shot at the same time (between takes), and in two of them the full neon sign in the window is clearly visible and legible. Unfortunately, those three photos have not been posted on the Net, and - believe me - I looked and looked. The only photo I found of Clemenza by the Luna Restaurant was the one I posted, where the front window is not fully visible.

What I will try and do is scan the photos from the book (The Annotated Godfather) and post them here. I'm not familiar with my fiancées scanner, so I probably will have to ask for assistance from her or her daughter but I will try and get them posted here reasonably soon.


Signor V.

Here are those photos - scans taken from the book The Annotated Godfather. Our scanner is quite dodgy, so these photos are not as "clean" as I would have liked, but they are quite legible, nevertheless. The "tryptic" photo is the way the pictures appear in the book; I separated them individually for better clarity. You can clearly see (I hope) the neon sign in the window says Luna Restaurant. The actual location? I confess I haven't the foggiest idea. Perhaps additional research will uncover the answer.


Signor V.

I checked out the Luna on Mulberry St. It's impossible to tell for sure, but I seriously doubt it could be the one in the film.

Brilliant research and outstanding posts, Signor V. Thanks!!

One point: that menu couldn't have been from 1923. Prohibition was in effect, and listing prices for cocktails and wine would have provided The Law with evidence of Prohibition violation. Sure, lots of restaurants served wine and booze in those years, but they didn't put it on the menu.

TB, the menu could have been from 1923; the wine and liquor list from pre-1920.

Also, much enforcement of the Volstead Act was left to the states. New York repealed its enforcement act in 1923.

A valid point about Prohibition.

In the discussion on Chowhound that I linked to in an earlier post, it was said that the menu was "dated 1923." While the scans I found of the menu and wine list do not confirm this, I have a different scan of the entire wine list I've posted below (not the greatest resolution, but I can't find the original image online at this point) where it says toward the bottom right under "Champagne," Piper-Heidsieck (1923). Personally, I don't think I've ever seen a menu with a printed date on it, so I figured that either the date was noted by hand on the back of the menu (no scan of that, though), or the person who said that it was dated 1923 was referring to the vintage of the champagne.

That's why I said "circa 1923" in my post. I really can't vouch for the actual date of the menu beyond what I've mentioned. It may very well have been later.

Any oenophiles out there?


Signor V.

Unlike Burgundy and Bordeaux, where growers bottle a vintage wine each year, Champagne growers blend their annual output of wines into non-vintage bottlings. They only "declare" a vintage wine in an especially good year (like 1923). Vintage champagnes are highly prized, and growers keep them off the market until prices are right. There is no way a 1923 Champagne would be in a restaurant in 1923.

You're right. I should have realized.

I am, by no means, a wine expert or even drinker of same. The only thing I know about wine or whiskey or any of that stuff is that I occasionally cook with it. My alcoholic beverage of choice is beer. Vodka, to me, tastes like benzene, tequila like turpentine, and so on. Chacun à son goût.

So, it appears that the wine list - if not the whole menu itself - must date from later than 1923. Both the vintage year and Prohibition make for persuasive arguments.

Today, I had some time on my hands so I took a trip up to the Bronx to see what the site looks like. Workers were still removing inventory from the former fabric store (which closed about a month ago, I was told) and bringing it to the new location not far away. I could see the tin ceiling was still intact, but they would not let me into the store to look around. The two windows flanking the front entrance had been shattered; all I could think of was that the high heat and higher humidity made for too-oppressive working conditions, so a little impromptu ventilation was the answer. The interior windows on the left-hand wall were cemented over years ago. Where the abandoned gas station used to be (next to the old restaurant, on the left) is now a huge, modern dialysis center. Quite a change from the photos I posted earlier in this thread (in 2006).

Had a couple of slices of pizza at a neighboring pizzeria and rode the Metal Monster (aka the NYC subway) home.


Signor V.

I just started following this thread & it gave me hope for this board that it still has it's roots,,wonderful info . very interesting, no trolls or Trump this or that , race bullshit.. I like it here better on this thread,,this is 4 real a popcorn thread, maybe some pizza too.

I admit that I haven't posted much here in quite awhile (except for the Dead Pool), but I'm always interested in a good, informative discussion. I have little patience for the contentious stuff and choose not to get involved.

Here's something that may (or may not) be of interest:

Out of curiosity I decided to do a little (and I do mean little) bit of digging to see where the Luna/Louis misinformation began. While I uncovered no concrete answers, I did uncover my old paperback copy of The Godfather Journal by Ira Zuckerman. My copy is the second printing, dated November, 1972.

For me, this book is important because it may have been among the first (if not the first) books dealing with the filming. And yet, while Zuckerman said he worked as an assistant to Francis Ford Coppola on GF1 and was there during the filming (the book comes from Zuckerman’s journal), there is this from page 50:

2nd DAY OF SHOOTING MONDAY MARCH 29

First day of filming in the studio. It is an interior night car scene in which Michael is taken to the Luna Restaurant for the Sollozzo meeting, with Police Captain McClusky in attendance.

And this from page 51:

4th DAY OF SHOOTING WEDNESDAY MARCH 31

On location at the Luna Restaurant in the Bronx. The scene of Michael’s murder of Sollozzo and McClusky, and his getaway.

Every time this guy mentions the restaurant in his book, he refers to it as Luna. And he was there, on the set? Hmmm….

Thirty-five years later, The Annotated Godfather by Jenny M. Jones (2007) perpetuates the error on page 124:

Louis’ Restaurant was actually Old Luna Restaurant on White Plains Road near Gun Hill Road, the Bronx.

Zuckerman also gets details wrong about the filming of Sonny's assassination. Anyway, I think I'll leave this tangled web of confusion for now. It's late and I'm tired!


Signor V.

Sometimes people who work on films do forget the names of places where they filmed. Although, if this guy writes a book, he should have done the research and got everything right . I've seen directors bungle the location names of shooting locations, even getting the name of the suburb wrong. I assume the company that produces the film (Paramount, in the case of GF) scouts the location. Maybe the director will go along. The details, address, things like that, are probably only kept as record by the production company. All the people working on the film just remember the locations and addresses long enough to know where to show up.

Another interesting tidbit:

Ever wonder what the poster was, on the fence to the left of the restaurant? It's only seen for a moment, and not as bright as the picture below:



It's a poster for Palisades Amusement Park. Here is a nearly identical one, from the 1940's:



I think one of the things that has always fascinated me about GF 1 & 2 is the attention to period detail, both in the general look of the films and in the smaller things that might pass unnoticed at first.


Signor V.

Cool, V.

Are those prices listed on the first menu form previous page actually in cents? 35 cents for a plate of spaghetti! Bet it was good too.

FFC's fanatical attention to period detail is one of the main reasons I keep watching GF and II--always find something new and delightful. Re. posters: note the LaMotta/Bell fight poster next to the fruit pushcart just before Vito gets shot. Also notice the "Dewey for President" poster when Sonny beats up Carlo. Also notice the Layanda Line and Arincino Cinzano posters outside Sr. Vitelli's cafe.

Yep - those were the prices. But we have to remember that 35 cents went a lot further than it does today. Here are some statistics I found here specifically dealing with 1923:

Dollars & Cents
Median price of new home - $5,000
Average yearly salary - $1,393
Cooking range - $84.95
Kodak camera - $50
Waffle iron - $4
Man's polo shirt - $2.50
Eggs - $.44/dozen
Bacon - $.41/pound
Cheese - $.37/pound
Pall Mall cigarettes - $.30/pack
Colgate dental ribbon - $.25/tube
First class stamp - $.02

As far as the menu prices, I posted something a little easier to read in a thread I started on the Food & Drink forum. I copied some of the items from the Louis menu, just as they were, with a bit of emphasis on the listed veal dishes.


Signor V.

After much searching I was able to locate the better scan of the wine list I mentioned in an earlier post. I can't seem to post just the image from the webpage, so here's the entire page.

Maybe I can post it from my files if I download it...


Signor V.

[Edit: I just checked this post and there's no difference in the size of the scan compared with the earlier version, except for better resolution. Looks like the GBB sets a default size on picture files of this type. Anyway, check out the link above. It's a much better image.]

SV - You can always use a free hosting service for posting images also.

Hey V, the average 1923 annual salary from the source cited below was about $1,300. So, even those 1923 wine prices might have been a challenge for most Americans to pay.

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/content/statistics-american-economy-during-1920s

True - and I see you used TinyPic to host the wine list photo.

I hadn't had occasion to use a photo hosting service in a long time. I used to use TinyPic, but when I tried their site just the other day it was so cluttered with ads and other crap that my laptop froze more than once. I finally gave up and resolved to find a better hosting site in the future - and from the look of my calendar I might get around to it by New Year's... maybe.

But obviously you had better luck with the site than I did. Thanks for posting the pic!


Signor V.
(a Luddite to the end...)

To put it all in perspective (sort of), the great silent film actor Lon Chaney received $2500 per week when he made The Hunchback of Notre Dame for Universal Pictures in 1923. Chaney made almost $60,000 plus contract bonuses from the six-month shoot. He made almost twice as much in a week as most people made in a year.


Signor V.

A big thanks to Signor Vitelli for those links and pics. I love looking at those old prices. It seems cameras and a few other items were priced higher than most items of those times.

NY Public Library has a huge collection of old menus, by decade, going back to the early 19th century. You can Google it.

I will, I plan to get download a few and pass them around to coworkers ( I work in a restaurant) I may ask my manager to put one up on the wall, but s a few customers already complain about prices, if they see the old ones they may complain more.

Well, this brings up a possibly delicate subject:

It does seem that, when one looks over all the evidence presented, that this site's Filming Locations page has incorrect information. But, what must be remembered is that back when this site was first launched, this was the information that was available from multiple sources. As a matter of fact, I just noticed that in an article posted December 2017, the Luna misinformation was repeated and a link to the Filming Locations page was given.

Perhaps, when time permits, relevant sections of this website could be updated with both new text and pictures.


Signor V.

2021 update:

According to Property Shark, the building was built in 1928 - so the notation of "1923" on the menu previously mentioned may be erroneous.

But what caught my eye was the info that the building was sold in late 2019 for...

Ten dollars.

You read that right - $10.00 USD.

I've seen recent photos (not on the Property Shark site) that seem to indicate that the property may now be abandoned. It seems nobody rented the downstairs space after the fabric store vacated. I might be wrong, as I haven't visited the spot since my earlier post a while ago.

I can't find out any info on who the current property owner is because you have to have an account on that site, and I don't care to do all that. Just my laziness.

Perhaps someone else can fill in the blanks?


Signor V.

Just a little off the subject, but why was it that Tessio knew about Louie's restaurant in the Bronx and not Clemenza? Afterall, the Bronx was Clemenza's territory with Tessio in Brooklyn.

I'm not sure if Clemenza has a base in the Bronx in the movie: "Carmine Cuneo from the Bronx -- and ah -- Brooklyn -- Philip Tattaglia. And from Staten Island, we have with us Victor Strachi." Very different from the book.

Tessio does, of course, possess the same knowledge in the book. It could just be that Puzo wanted to give him some things to do, because he's an elusive character most of the time.

I disagree Pete. Afterall, it was Tessio who got to dance with little girls at the wedding, who was the only one to eat an orange (or at least pick up one) in the entire movie, and to pick up packages at the gate. Those are high profile and important things to do.

Since some photos posted much earlier in this thread are no longer available due to the demise of TinyPic, I am reposting this picture of a period post card (circa 1934-35) straight from my files. Got it from the Net.


Signor V.

Latest photo, taken this month, shows scaffolding erected in front of the building. Building looks abandoned to me, but I'm not sure.

Google Maps Image


Signor V.

Something that always piqued my curiosity, but I never investigated:

We're all familiar (or we should be) with the establishing shot of Louis' Restaurant seen in GF1.



But, what was that store directly to the right? Well, it was Vavolizza's Travel Service. A travel agency, and a close examination of the (unlit) neon sign in the window reveals it handled airline tickets as well as steamship bookings. Probably rail tickets, too.

It appears to still exist in the Bronx, but Vavolizza Travel is now on E. Tremont Ave. rather than on White Plains Rd. (the location at the time GF1 was filmed).

Interesting.

Makes me wonder if the Corleone family availed themselves of Vavolizza's services to arrange Michael's passage to Sicily after the Sollozzo/McCluskey hit?


Signor V.

Could be Lou was over there - he may have felt a need to get out of town for a while.

Way off topic: Does anyone know how travel agencies worked then? They didn't have any links to computer systems, so would they just call a railroad/cruise line to make the reservation, and then write out the ticket on a standard form?

You could book directly with the airline, steamship company, railroad or hotel. But most people preferred to use a travel agency, which would handle all details of your trip or vacation and deliver the tickets directly to you.

Some people, particularly fugitives from the law, would go to the docks and try to book passage on a cargo ship or other commercial vessel--cash on the barrelhead, no questions asked. If I remember correctly, that's how the novel says Michael got to Sicily after killing Sol and Mac.

Thanks, TB.

It was curious that Tessio described it instead of Clemenza since The Bronx was Clemenza's fife.

Something I had never noticed before:

On the Scouting NY website, there is a post from "Walter" on January 7, 2014 that says:

The Luna restaurant you refer to was at 112 Mulberry Street. I ate there many times as a kid. Some of the deleted scenes from the movie you can see on the DVD show the exterior clearly. This was the place was where Peter Clemenza had lunch. It was also the place where Clemenza bought the cannoli that was in his famous line of Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

Very interesting. This is the only reference I can find (so far) that names the location of the Luna Restaurant by someone who actually claims to have eaten there and knew the specific location. And remember, we're talking about where Clemenza ate in the deleted scene, not Louis' Italian-American Restaurant in the Bronx.


Signor V.