It's said that the PERO FAMILY who own this famed Pizzeria in Coney Island are getting old and want to sell the place. For the past year or two, they have only been open on Saturdays and Sundays, only serving Pizza from 12:30 to 5:30 these two days.
We hope they get a good operator who will continue the 100 Year Tradition of TOTONNO'S.
One SLICE of PIZZA on TOP of ANOTHERAt LENNY'S PIZZA
BROOKLYN
NEW YORK
on JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY
Tuesday June 12, 2018
.
SUNDAY SAUCE
From Another ITALIAN-AMRICAN
JERSEY BOY
Author Daniel Bellino "Z"
.
I had a most wonderful day today in Brooklyn at the JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY Celebration on 86th Street in Bensonhurst at LENNY'S PIZZA where John Travolta ate a Double Decker while walking down 86th Street in the opening scene of the 1977 Blockbuster Movie SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Starring Italian-American Actor from New Jersey John Travolta. John strutted his stuff to the BEE GEES other was a Monster Billboard Hit along with othersongs like : MORE THAN a WOMAN, IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU (Evan Ellerman), and the rest of the Saturday Night Live Soundtrack.
Anyway JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY was the Brainchild of Mr. Travolta's fellow actor Willy Mateo of Brooklyn who co-stars with John in the upcoming motion picture GOTTI about famed MAFIA BOSS The Late JOHN GOTTI. The event was Hosted by CBS FM Radio Station with Disc Jockey Brooklyn's own JOE CAUSI as Mater of Cermony.
So I hopped on the D Train at West 4th Street in New York's Greenwich Village and I was on my way. When I first heard about JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY I knew I wanted to go. The night before, I was sort of on the fence whether to truck it all the way out to Bensonhurst or not. Now in retrospeccy, boy am I glad I made the decision to go. As Willy Mateo, Joe Causi and others said, "they were making history.," and they were. John has never done this before and he may or may or not do it again, who knows when the 50th Anniversary of this Iconic Movie SAYURDAY NIGHT FEVER comes rollong around in 9 years?
So I trucked it out to Bensonhurst and got off at the 20th Avenue Station in Besnonhurst Brooklyn. As I walked out of the train station I could already hear the music playing right there on 86th Street. I waldedup to the crowd, and boy was it crowded. After there a few minutes I started having seccond thoughts about the whole thing. i don't really like crowds and with all these people, what would I see? Well I stuck it out. I waited well over an hour in this Brooklyn crowd. I had brought two copys of my book SUNDAY SAUCE that wanted to give to both JOE CAUSI and
JOHN TRAVOLTA. I signed one copy to Joe and one to Mr. Travolta in the hopes of giving a copy each to John and Joe.
So I waited patiently hoping that it would all be worh it in the end. Well, guess what? It was. I had an absolutely wonderful time. John finely made it up to the stage and I along with the large crowd got quite excited. we were all thrilled to see this Iconic Actor who all touched our lives so many years ago. many of us were quite young way back in 1977 and life can be tough, things change and life just happens. Millions of us got great Joy from watching John Travolta as Vinny Barbarino in WELCOME BACK KOTTER about the so-called SWEAT HOGS, misfits in a Brooklyn High School. But what we reallly loved most was John Travolta's wonderful performance Tony Manero in the much loved film SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.
Yes the crowd went wild when John took the stage and started speaking, saying how Brooklyn was in his DNA and how Happy he was to come back. John was quite gracious in his speaking to his adoring fans and afterwards as he signed hundreds of autographs, ate some Lenny's Pizza and Boogied to STAYING ALIVE, we all just loved it, and in these crazy times we live in it's moments like this when we can share time together re-living old fond memories like seeing SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER at the local movie theater, seeing John Dance and act a great part. We all just loved itand a moment that made history on JOHN TAVOLTA DAY in BROOKLYN NEW YORK. Than You John, we loved the day, we love you and the music and memories of a long time ago.
.
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
.
JOHN TRAVOLTA Graciously Signing Autographs
in Front of LENNY'S PIZZA
BENSONHURST
On JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY
BROOKLYN , NEW YORK
.
.
JOHN TRAVOLTA Boogyingdown
In BROOKLYN
NEW YORK
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JOHN TRAVOLTA
as TONY MANERO
In SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
PIZZA
at LENNY'S PIZZERIA
BENSONHURST
BROOKLYN
.
The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
SECRET RECIPE BOLOGNESE
by DANNY BOLOGNESE
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JOHN TRAVOLTA with Wife Kelly Preston , Acotr Willy Mateo
John Gotti Jr., and Radio DJ BrOOKLYN'S Own JOE CAUSI
On 86th Street Bensonhurst BROOKLYN on JOHN TRAVOLTA DAY . .
TripAdvisor makes a major Faux Pas when with their Top 10 Pizza Cities of U.S. The Faux Pas, TripAdvisor puts the "Undisputed Raining King of American Pizza 4th" and as if they are even more out of their minds rank San Diego # 1, Las Vegas # 2, Boston # 3, and The Champ New York # 4 ... It doesn't take much of a Genius to realize that this is one of the 21st Centuries biggest Media Blunders of all. So bad in fact, "It's a Joke," an absurdity that is beyond belief and has "Seriously Hurt TripAdvisor" and given them a major Credibility Issue. A business that is built on credibility and giving "Advise" as per their "Name," TripAdvisor is in TROUBLE ..
Below: "THIS IS INSANITY" !!!
The Top 10 Cities for Pizza, as determined by TripAdvisor:
San Diego, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Boston, Massachusetts
New York City, New York
Seattle, Washington
Austin, Texas
San Francisco, California
Indianapolis, Indiana
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
At issue here is not whether San Diego, Boston, and Las Vegas has better Pizza then New York and that they have bragging rights. "Hell No!" They don't, anyone in their "Right-Mind" knows that no city can touch New York in their superiority as far as Pizza is concerned, New York is America's undisputed Champ, we have some of the Best Pizza on Eart, and this include Italy. The only city that comes close to New York is New Haven, Connecticut, but even as great as New Haven and the towns pizza is, they are a distant second to New York, Chicago? Fougettabout IT! Chicago, that "Deep Dish Stuff" That's NOT Pizza, it's Deep Dish something, not Pizza. The balance is completely off to be called "real pizza."
The issue here, with TripAdvisor's Major Foul-Up is when you go to Tripadvisor for "Advise" on Hotels, Restaurants, and other travel related questions to determine what is the best, and for accurate descriptions, opinions, and ratings, "Is Tripadvisor accurrate and reliable? The answer is, "Sometimes," just be careful and look to others like Yelp and articles and other info on places you are seeking accurate info and advice about. Don't solely count on TripAdvisor. This "Pizza Debacle" is a major "blunder" and one that will take Tripadvisor a good long time to recover from.
GENARO LOMARDI With PIZZAIOLO ANTHONY PERO (Totonno's)
1905: Gennaro Lombardi’s opens America's "First Ever Pizzeria" at 53 1/2 Spring St. in Lower Manhattam, New York, NY .. Some famed Pizzaioli (Pizza Makers) work there over the years;Anthony Pero founder of Totonno's Coney Island, John Sasso of John's Pizza Bleecker Street, and Pasquale Lancieri aka "Patsy" who opens "Patsy's Pizzeria in Eats Harlem. A Pizza cost a Nickel at Lombardi's in 1905 ..
1924: Anthony “Totonno” Pero opens Totonno’s in Coney Island. Establishes unusual ritual that some Pizzerias carry on to this day. When the dough runs out, the Pizzeria close for the day.
1977:Saturday Night Fever: John Travolta double-slices it at Lenny’s in Bay Ridge.
1990: ThreeRay’s owners, none of them named Ray, band together, form a coalition to trademark the name,and eliminate impostors, or make them pay a fee.
1994: Seventy-nine people are arrested for operating an international drug ring out of a midtown Famous Original Ray’s.
2004: Anthony Mangieri opens Una Pizza Napoletana. Some cal him "The Pizza Nazi"
Many consider DiFara Pizza made by the Maestro of Pizza Mr. Dom DeMarco to be New York's # 1 very best Pizza of all. That my friends means it's the best pizza in America and I wouldn't disagree.
The Pizza Empire Cousins (Cujinos) from Staten Island, New York getting a TV Show. Sal Basile and Fran Garcia of the wildly successful Artichoke Basile Pizza are the latest culinary guys to get their own show. Unlike many of the awful host of most of the Horrible Food Network, these guys have actually made something and are culinary professionals . They have a couple Pizzerias called Artichoke Basile Pizza. They opened Artichoke Basile Pizza on East 14th Street which was a huge instant success. Almost from day one, people have been lining up for the cousins Sal & Frans Pizza, and I do mean line-up literally, and day and night. Many celebs including Keith Richards, Gerad Butler, and Jim Carey are big fans of their Pizza. These guys work hard and put out a good product and the people love them. They have also opened a great sandwich shop that sells Pastrami and Roast Beef Sandwiches. Awesome!
Now the boys are getting their own TV Show on The Cooking Channel called Pizza Cuz. Sal and Fran will be traveling the country, checking out Pizzerias in Portland Oregon, Brooklyn (Pizza Capital of America), and Oakland, California and other spots around the country. Sounds like a great concept, as these guys know food, especially Pizza, they have personality, and passion, and this should be a winning combination on TV as it is in Fran and Sals establishments. We wish them well and are looking forward to the first episode. Buona Fortuna Sal and Fran.
2 Bros. Pizza on St. Marks Place is making a big splash in the East Village. At a $1.00 a slice, you'd have to go back to the mid-80's to get Pizza this cheap. People Love it. Almost everybody you ask will admit that it's no Lombardi's, John's or Tottono's. What it is, is a pretty good slice, and at $1.00 a slice it just can't be beat. It's not great, but many have had to take a shot for just a "Buck" per slice you just got to try it at least once. Almost everyone poled liked it and said that it taste much better than they thought it would. As one guy put it, it's pretty dam good, far superior to commercial Pizza like Domino's, Papa Johns, or Pizzahut, and at just $1.00 a slice and $2.75 for 2 slices and a soda, a great inflation fighter.
Several people surveyed said, "It's just the ticket when your drunk and out drinking in the East Village." But you don't have to be drunk to like it. It even taste good when you're sober, and the price is oh so sweet.
Looks like we have an "Institution" in the making.