Original Ray's Pizza Serving its Last Slice in New York's Little Italy

I wrote about it at my old blog, and it's the funniest thing, but when my mom came to visit a few weeks back, she brought back a couple of the business cards we picked up in New York in 2007. She was using them for bookmarks. My son and I loved Airways Pizza in Queens. My mom also had a card for Dean's Pizzeria, in Manhattan, not far from the U.N. My son really liked that one. It was a little upscale and we were dressed casually. I asked my son if he wanted to go somewhere else and he said no, he liked Dean's and wanted to eat there. Anyway, I'm thinking of New York pizza again after reading the front-page story at NYT, "Ray’s Pizza, the First of Many, Counts Down to Its Last Slice":

It did not call itself the flagship Ray’s Pizza because it never really had a fleet. It was not Original Ray’s or Famous Ray’s or Original Famous Ray’s or Real Ray’s or Ray’s on Ice or any of the other cloned shops sprinkled like shredded mozzarella all over town. It was simply Ray’s Pizza, and in the great pizza wars of New York City, it was respected as having been the first, standing more or less above the fray at 27 Prince Street in Little Italy, with tree limbs holding up the basement ceiling and an owner whose name wasn’t even Ray.

And now, it seems, barring any surprises, Ray’s Pizza — the original that was so original it did not have the word “original” in its name — appears doomed to close at the end of the month.

This is not a popular topic at Ray’s right now.

“I don’t want you to put that this is the end,” said Helen Mistretta, the manager who, seven months before her 80th birthday, is in no mood for weepy nostalgia. “It’s the end of 27 Prince, not the end of Ray’s of Prince Street.”

The closing, long story short, follows a legal dispute among heirs with various interests in the building at 27 Prince, which includes apartments and the two sides of Ray’s: the pizzeria and an Italian restaurant, each with its separate entrance, but sharing a kitchen and the corporation name, Ray’s of Prince Street. When the Ray in Ray’s, one of the owners of the building, died in 2008, a row arose over whether the restaurant’s lease was valid and whether it should pay rent. A lawsuit was filed in 2009 and settled this year.

Now Ray’s Pizza is moving out amid a lot of head-shakes and shrugs and what-are-you-gonna-do Little Italy resignation.

You could say Ray’s on Prince Street kept to itself, perfectly content with its place in the constellation where others burned brighter. Just a block away, tourists line up on the sidewalk for a seat in Lombardi’s, waiting for a hostess wearing a microphone headset to call their names from loudspeakers. Wait for a pizza? This was not the Ray’s way, where pies come whole or by the slice, hot from the oven, enjoyed without hurry in a humble booth beneath a hand-painted “Ray’s Gourmet Pizza” board.

The closing of Ray’s would seem to remove from the neighborhood any vestige of the late Ralph Cuomo, its first owner, who once loomed large.

Keep reading.

My wife just walked in with pizza for dinner, from the local Lamppost, which is good, but nothing like New York pizza.

RELATED: At NYT, "New York’s Little Italy, Littler by the Year."

P.S. Checking the link to the old blog, turns out Repsac3 was commenting way back then. He wasn't banned. He might still be a commenter here had he not freaked out and turned stalker. I'll welcome progressives if they're cool. Repsac3 once was, but no longer. Too bad too. I had to go to moderation and all that.

'All You Need Is Love'

I've been out all night. It's just after Midnight. Normally I'd have a few scheduled posts going live, but I've been partying. The family had a blast at the Beatles LOVE. I'll look for some LOVE videos I haven't posted and update later. The second time around is different, but the first is, well, the first time. Nothing like it. That said, I could see it again and again. It's so fun. I kept checking over at my kids and my oldest's (sorta) girlfriend. They loved it. And my youngest just turned 10 and he's already a HUGE Beatles fan. The Beatles are the great generational unifier

'All Summer Long'

My summer's been long but is almost gone. School starts back at my college next Monday.

And we were trying different things

We were smoking funny things

Making love out by the lake to our favorite song

Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow

Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long

Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long...

Yosemite Waterfall Deaths

The Los Angeles Times recently ran a piece on the surging Central Valley rivers, "Central Valley rivers are flowing stronger, faster, more fatally."

I used to live up in Fresno, so a lot of the names and places are familiar. And now there's dramatic news, of three presumed dead at Yosemite, after hikers ignored warnings.

See Los Angeles Times, "Witness tells of horror as 3 swept over Vernal Fall in Yosemite":

The three were members of a group of 12 from a Central Valley church that had hiked to the top of the waterfall, said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

Ignoring posted signs and repeated warnings, they had climbed over the metal-bar barricade to get in the Merced River about 25 feet from the edge of the falls.

As Gediman recounted what happened, it was a chain reaction. First one person was swept away, then a second one tried to rescue that person and then a third tried to save the other two. All three were swept over the waterfall.

They were identified as Ramina Badal, 21, of Manteca; Homiz David, 22, of Modesto; and Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock.

Witnesses immediately called rangers, and search-and-rescue teams canvassed the waters downstream Tuesday. They were back out at first light Wednesday to continue the search, but by late morning park officials said they believed the three were dead.

Also, "Search for 3 people missing in Yosemite is hampered by raging river."

Plus, at Christian Science Monitor, "Yosemite waterfall accident a cautionary tale for Yosemite visitors."

Midweek Getaway to Mirage Las Vegas

Blogging's been a little spotty.

My wife and I arrived last night at Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. It's our first stay here, and I'm impressed. We have a suite on the 21st floor. The room is well appointed and luxurious:

That console at the foot of the bed hosts a television, which elevates when turned on:

Here's the sitting area, with another high-quality television, and the second bath (this one with a shower, the other with a whirlpool).

The view looks east, with Trump Tower at center. (The property hasn't been the most profitable asset for Donald Trump.)

At breakfast this morning, the beard is gone --- and all the gray. My wife said I look "so much younger." Well, thanks!

And out front, the view across the Las Vegas Strip. That's the Venetian Hotel & Casino:

Looking down the Strip toward Treasure Island and Steve Wynn's properties:

Another shot of the Venetian:

Looking back at the Mirage from the sidewalk:

At the hotel entrance, the sign for the Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil:

Back inside, here's the box office and a display. We're going to the 9:30pm show. I was thinking, what the heck? We just learned that John Lennon was going Republican by 1980. All the more fun!

I'll be in and out of the hotel room all night, and might have some blogging updates. So check back!

More From Las Vegas!

I took my youngest son to "Shark Reef" at Mandalay Bay. I love that place. And my son's still a few months short of his 10th birthday, so he's still endlessly fascinated by animals and nature. We had a great time. The photos are okay, but what the heck? They're worth sharing.

The jellyfish exhibit:

My kid really liked the Komodo dragon. We got all the way to the end the facility, to the "ship wreck" shark tank, and he wanted to go back up to see the Komodo! And he made sure to justify it, since we somehow missed the python exhibit, which we then noticed was right next to the dragon. Hanging with my kid's a riot:

He liked the piranhas too. Big suckers:

Everybody loves sharks:

But the sawfish was another one of my son's favorites. This shot's blurry because the sawfish swims up over the top of the glass after skimming along the bottom. He surprises you, unlike the sharks, who just kinda hover around:

Walking back out to find my wife, who hit the casino and then the Red, White and Blue restaurant, here's the "beach" at Mandalay Bay, which features a wave pool:

There's a tram that takes you back to the Excalibur Hotel, and then a skywalk leads back over to New York New York, and then MGM Grande. A view of the interesection:

We always have fun, but this was our first time staying at MGM and I'm completely sold. An excellent experience all around. I'll have another update on this later ...

Road Trip Roundup

We're on the road from Vegas back to the O.C.

Should see regular posting pick up late tonight or in the morning. I have more photos to post. And some stories to tell.

Until then, check Bob Belvedere's, "Rule 5 Saturday." Also, William Teach, "Sorta Blogless Pinup Sunday."

And The Other McCain's 10 year-old son got one hella haircut.

BONUS: Theo Spark's "Bedtime Bunny."

President Reagan's 1983 Easter and Passover Address

Via Marathon Pundit:

Live From the MGM Grand Las Vegas!

We're on the 18th floor. This is the view from my suite, looking north from the MGM Grand. A blogging room with a view:

A look inside:

Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton out in the foyer, near the elevators:

And the view south from the elevator landing. Excalibur Hotel is kitty corner across the from the MGM. And that's Mandalay Bay at center and Tropicana at left:

Guests gather around the lion exhibit:

Now coming back around under the glass canopy, some close-ups of one of the lions:

The view from the skywalk over to Tropicana Hotel, here's New York New York. That replica Statue of Liberty recently made it onto a U.S. Postal Service stamp by mistake:

Looking from the Tropicana across to the MGM:

David Copperfield is a big draw for the hotel, although my wife is taking me and my oldest son to see KÀ| Cirque du Soleil, which is supposed to the most popular among the many Cirque du Soleil productions in Las Vegas.

I'll have more blogging either very late tonight or in the morning. I'm looking forward to meeting up with The Vegas Guy tomorrow as well.

In any case, I'll be back ...

Harrah's Rincon

I took my family to Harrah's Rincon Hotel and Casino Thursday night, and then to visit friends in Temecula yesterday. Some pics from the hotel:

The hotel has a big concert program at the Open Sky Theatre. Yes and Peter Frampton played last weekend, and Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson are playing tonight:

Good food at the cafe as well:

I took a couple of shots as we headed out to Temecula:

Out back of the casino is the Sky Theater. I'd love to see Heart in concert: