UNWANTED PUBLICITY BUGS RISTORANTE OWNER
With its wine bottles on the walls, brick oven in the corner and terra-cotta tiles on the floor, the Brioso Ristorante on Staten Island could be any Italian restaurant in Anytown, U.S.A.
And that’s what it was until 11 a.m. Tuesday, when the FBI walked in to reveal that Gambino family capo Anthony Ciccone and several other regular customers had been indicted on labor racketeering charges.
The feds also said that action-movie star Steven Seagal, who was fond of a table in the left corner near the window, had been the victim of a shakedown by some of these very men.
So now the restaurant, in the New Dorp section, is enjoying its 15 minutes of fame. Or infamy, if you speak to the owner, who gave his first name as Ralph and took the Fifth when asked for his last name.
“I don’t have anything to do with these people,” Ralph fumed. “I’m worried that this is going to affect my business because people are going to think it’s a mob hangout, but it’s not.”
To get evidence against Ciccone and his cronies, the FBI bugged three of the restaurant’s 20 tables.
“These guys eat here all the time,” said a waiter. “They come in for some pasta, some chicken with shrimp.”
The feds also bugged the back room of the nearby Guys and Dolls hair salon, where Ciccone allegedly discussed business with his wiseguy buddies.
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