Is that an Italian Gumby?
When the moon hits you eye
like a big pizza pie,
that's amore...
Posted on 10/25/2011 3:28:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Fifty-two years and countless oven-hot pies later, Ray’s Pizza — the Ray’s Pizza — will serve its last slice on Prince Street on Sunday.
The pizzeria announced its imminent closing over the summer, but only last week settled on the hard date. The closing follows a legal dispute over rent and a lease that followed its owner’s death in 2008. The manager of Ray’s, Helen Mistretta, 79, said that while a new pizzeria seemed ready to move into the location, the future of Ray’s Pizza and the Italian restaurant next door that shares its name remained uncertain.
“I went to look at a place, but it needed too much money for renovations,” she said. “And rents are ridiculous.”
For Ms. Mistretta, a cousin of the founder, Ralph Cuomo, talking about Sunday invariably requires a handkerchief within reach. “They want to have something — I said no,” she said. No big speeches, no goodbye party. “Maybe I could have a $1.50 slice, just to get rid of the flour,” she said. “It’s too sad. I’ll be outside.”
Ray’s is perhaps best known for what it is not, having spawned a bunch of shops with the same name and no connection whatsoever to the original on 27 Prince Street. It wore its authenticity like a thick, quality coat, without fuss or flair or apology, and carried on without Mr. Cuomo when his side interests — heroin dealing and the Luchese crime family — kept him from its day-to-day operations.
Most of the mementos inside — the big clock, the pictures of celebrities — will be placed in storage. One of those faces belongs to the actor Burt Young, who called Ms. Mistretta a few weeks back when he heard the news and promised to stop by soon.
(Excerpt) Read more at cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Sorry to hear it, but when I hear “Ray’s”, I think of “Famous Ray’s” on 6th Ave, around 10th Street or so. Lots of pizzerias named “Ray’s” or some variation in NYC.
Ping
JERRY IN HIS APARTMENT/KRAMER IN A PHONE BOOTH
KRAMER: ...I’m lost downtown! I don’t have any money. I don’t recognize anybody. I miss home,
and I don’t even know how to get there.
JERRY: What’s around you?
KRAMER: I’m lookin’ at Ray’s Pizza. You know where that is?
JERRY: Is it Famous Ray’s?
KRAMER: No. It’s Original Ray’s.
JERRY: Famous Original Ray’s?
KRAMER: It’s just Original, Jerry!
JERRY: Well, what street are you on?
KRAMER: Hey, I’m on first and first. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe.
I don’t know if non-New Yorkers can appreciate the tragedy of losing a place like this. It’s like losing Luchow’s. It’s not just a restaurant, it’s part of NYC history. But since we’re perched on the brink of losing the country, what’s one restaurant.
“...when I hear “Ray’s”, I think of “Famous Ray’s” on 6th Ave, around 10th Street or so...”
I do too - “Famous Ray’s of Greenwich Village” was at the corner of 6th Avenue and West 11th Street - my favorite pizza. I say “was” because unfortunately, they too closed a few weeks ago.
“KRAMER: Hey, I’m on first and first. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe.”
This actually happened to me back in 1990. I’m walking along, I decide to check my location, I look at the street I’m on and then the cross street. Cue twilight zone music. I’d had no idea there was a 1st and 1st. It’s so small you can miss it for years.
Famous Ray’s closed too? WTH is going on here?
my dad was NYPD for 23 years- we used to frequent Ray’s on 6th back in the day (mid 70’s)- even when i transferred to St John’s U in 1982 and lived in Queens i would occasionally take the F-train down to 4th street just for a slice with onions or a slice w/mushrooms- it was that good..i brought my roomates down and they loved it...
went back last November for the first time in decades after an off broadway show my daughter was in- the place was empty and there were mexicans making the pizza...sad...
Pete’s Tavern is even older than Luchow. William Sydney Porter (O’Henry) used to frequent Pete’s.
Jersey now has great pizza. Also bad pizza but it does seem like it’s hard to get a decent slice in NYC these days. Was never a fan of Ray’s, by the way.
As Johnny Carson would say, “I did not know that.” Did you know his dad’s first name was Gumbo?
Absolutely correct. To this day if you want a great steak, a warm fireplace, a friendly crowd, a wonderful long bar then Pete’s Tavern established in 1864 remains a must stop at the corner of 18th street and Irving Place in Manhattan. I haven’t been there in a long, long time but many years ago it was my TGIF place to be.
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