I'm late on this but yes, Punchy died a few months back, funeral at St Stephen on Summit Street, same RC church with famous photo of Anthony Anastasio funeral.

Also, Casa Rosa closed at the end of last year; not the best Brooklyn red sauce joint, not even the best in the 'hood but still a welcome throwback.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/casa-rosa-carroll-gardens-closes-article-1.1562745

Marco Polo at Court & Union is still there and though 'connected' there's too many scumbag politicians there for my taste.

Frost is still open in the formerly Italian section of Williamsburg, just around a cpl corners from Sonny Black's place on Graham Ave--

http://frostrestaurant.com

LOTS of Italian closures in that 'hood over the last 15 years and though vestiges do remain... hell, there were still a couple Italian cafes (though one might have been half-Romanian spillover from Ridgewood?) in Bushwick 10 years ago...