11 Restaurants Once Linked To America's Most Notorious Mobsters

Over 80% of adult Americans consume some kind of true crime media, according to a 2024 report by Edison Research. We simply love true stories of the underbelly, the OG of which often involves the mob or mafia. Luckily, stories of gangsters in the United States aren't so old that they're unreachable. There are sites throughout America that still hold the energy of some of the most well known gangsters of history, and history buffs still visit them to connect with their stories. Considering that even mobsters need to eat, it's not surprising that a lot of historical restaurants have connections to famous crime family members.

Assassinations, shoot outs, and disappearances can all be found on this list of restaurants that have at one time been connected to famous mobsters. It wasn't only bloody misdeeds that occurred at these places, though, as gangsters also gathered to forge connections and simply have a good time. Of course, it doesn't hurt that some of these mob affiliated restaurants are also among the very best spots to get Italian food in the United States. From speakeasies and brothels to illegal gambling dens, here are some of the most iconic restaurants throughout the United States that notorious mobsters chose to gather and hang out.

Though it's not alone, New York City is one of the most prominent mob cities, dating back to the Prohibition Era. The concentration of mob activity in the city was spread throughout the many boroughs, and was helped along by the port system in the city. Rao's Restaurant was a popular place for mobsters like John Gotti and Charles "Lucky" Luciano to hang out in East Harlem.

The restaurant, which was the informal casting location for "Goodfellas" and is still going strong in its original location, was opened by an Italian immigrant in 1896. Rao's is notoriously difficult for most people to get a table or reservation at, mainly because they have a "table rights" system. This allows regulars to have tables reserved perpetually. Allegedly, many mob members had preferred seating here.

Mob activity at Rao's Restaurant was far from isolated to the Prohibition era. In 2003, after saying some not-so-nice words about an actress singing at the restaurant, Albert Circelli was shot. With links to the Lucchese mob family, Louis Barone admitted to killing Circelli in anger. Louis "Louie Lump Lump" Barone was a long time regular of Rao's, and didn't like the disrespect coming from Circelli. The shooting did not deter business from Rao's. After all, what's a known mob affiliated restaurant without a little bloodshed?

While perhaps not as prominent as in New York City, Chicago had a significant mob presence that was largely pushed along by prohibition. Like in New York, restaurants and clubs were perfect breeding groups for mob activity. Richard's Bar, formerly known as Tischer's Tavern, in Chicago opened in the mid 1920s and is one such bar. The bar has had several problems following the law, including breaking various indoor smoking laws. Smoking is the least of the bar's problems with abiding by the law, though, as decades of mob affiliation rumors and even violence have resided here.

Richard's Bar is owned by the sister of Robert "Bobby" Dominic, who allegedly has ties to the mob in Chicago. Dominic ran into trouble with the law in 2025 for dodging taxes. The bar is rumored to be the top spot for The Grand Avenue Crew, an outfit of the mob that includes Dominic. Richard's can be easily spotted as an Italian affiliated bar by the massive Italian flag adorning the building.

While not knowingly connected to mob dealings, there was a fatal stabbing at Richard's Bar back in 2020. It's perhaps possible the widespread knowledge of the bar's affiliations emboldens patrons to be less than law-abiding when big emotions arise.

The former Umberto's Clam House is one restaurant to visit if taking a mafia tour of New York City. The location of the original Umberto's Clam House in Little Italy is now home to a different Italian restaurant called Ristorante Da Gennaro, which has no current ties to the mafia. This site, though, is iconic for not only being quietly owned by the Genovese crime family originally, but also being the spot of an infamous mob hit.

As a member of the Genovese crime family, once headed up by OG mobster "Lucky" Luciano, Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello was closely associated to Umberto's Clam House and other establishments in the area. While Ianniello had a stake in the family restaurant, fellow mob member "Crazy" Joe Gallo of the Colombo crime family was gunned down here. While celebrating his 43rd birthday in company of his new wife and step daughter, Gallo was killed by multiple shooters who are thought to have been a part of his own crime family. He made it to the sidewalk outside of Umberto's before succumbing to his wounds.

Thanks to the violence that took place here, people still visit the modern day Ristorante Da Gennaro on a self guided NYC mob tour. Umberto's has even been featured in the well known gangster film "The Irishman," and "The Sopranos."

It's hard to keep a classic Chicagoan bar down, and the Exchequer Restaurant and Pub is still very much around and serving customers. This former bootlegging bar and brothel was a favorite of many mobsters, including the infamous Al Capone. Al Capone frequented this historic restaurant, which was then called The 226 Club, with an upstairs speakeasy and brothel. Some sources claim Capone even had a heavy hand in operating the club, directly using it for his crime operations. Conveniently, and sometimes necessary, a secret trap door to the basement was built into the club for mobsters and law evaders.

Now, the Exchequer Restaurant serves up liquor legitimately, and the old speakeasy is collecting cobwebs above the ceiling. The trapdoor to the basement is the restaurant's centerpiece, still visible in the middle of the floor. These original details help the establishment honor its mobster past. 

In staying true to its roots another way, a speakeasy style sister restaurant has opened next door. Though it is no 226 Club, Club X is perfect for mafia fanatics that want to feel like they are in Capone's time. The secret entrance is located within The Exchequer, you just need to find the right painting to press on first, and you can feel like a real gangster entering a hidden bootlegging operation. Don't worry, though, Club X is legit.

New York City is known for its expansive food scene, and it can be hard for an establishment to stick out amongst all the competition. Sparks Steak House does this with its sordid history — not many NYC restaurants can say they've hosted a major mob hit. Though its original location was a couple miles Southeast of where it currently stands, the Midtown restaurant is where Gambino crime family head Paul Castellano met his demise. When Castellano arrived at Sparks Steak House in the winter of 1985, he was ambushed by four masked men and shot dead outside of the restaurant.

Another member of the Gambino family, John Gotti, was behind the assassination. Gotti was caught disobeying Castellano's order to not move heroin throughout the city, catching the attention of the police. The assassination was a you-before-me move, and allowed Gotti to rise in ranks and take over the crime family operation. Though most attempts to imprison Gotti in the years to follow did not stick, he was eventually convicted for the murder of Castellano. This hit changed the structure of mob operations in the city, forever linking the New York steakhouse to mob history in a big way.

Another NYC restaurant steeped in mob history is Park Side Restaurant, formerly known as the Corona Supper Club. The Queens restaurant was opened by the parents of Anthony "Tough Tony" Federici in the 1960s, but was renamed Park Side Restaurant when Tony took it over around 20 years later. Tony was said to be a high ranking member of the Genovese crime family, using Park Side as a headquarters for mob activity. The restaurant, still open and run by his family, attracted high profile patrons like celebrities, politicians, and fellow mob members.

It's generally accepted that Tough Tony was a big deal in the Genovese family, and that Park Side was a regular mob hangout. When Anthony "Fat Tony" Rabito was released from prison, Park Side was one of the restaurants he was explicitly advised to stay away from in order to keep out of trouble. Though Tough Tony largely avoided federal charges for mob activity, he was arrested for shooting at hawks while on the roof of Park Side Restaurant in 2000. Apparently, the hawks were after his prized pet pigeons that he raised on the roof, and he aimed to protect them.

Despite his and his restaurant's affiliated reputation, Federici was also a prominent and overall positive member of the Queens community. He passed away in 2022, and is remembered for his lovable personality and generosity to his community and the patrons of Park Side.

While there are still plenty of classic mob affiliated restaurants left standing, there aren't many that have preserved the past to the extent of The Green Mill. One of Chicago's most iconic restaurants and one of the best bars in the U.S., The Green Mill was a favorite restaurant of bootlegging gangster Al Capone. Capone frequented the establishment, and true crime/mob fanatics can still visit the bar and sit at the very booth Capone favored.

In addition to the booth, which Capone could keep an eye on both entrances from, the trap door that illegal booze entered the establishment is still very much present at The Green Mill. The restaurant was, during Prohibition, a speakeasy where patrons and mobsters came to enjoy a drink and listen to live jazz. There are tunnels underneath the bar that were used to smuggle liquor. The tunnels are still there, but not available to view by the public.

While Capone did plenty of business out of the lounge, The Green Mill was actually not owned by him, but partially owned by his hitman. "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn was often seen with Capone and did a lot of the mobster's dirty work. The duo is featured on the wall of The Green Mill in honor of its roots.

Patsy's Italian Restaurant opened in 1944 and has been owned and operated by the same family ever since. While there are plenty of NYC restaurants directly affiliated with real mobsters, Patsy's is more closely related to America's most notorious fictional mobster. "The Godfather" is one of the most iconic mob movies ever made, and it's based on a book of the same name. The characters in said book are inspired by real people, and author Mario Puzo allegedly based characters off of people at Patsy's Italian Restaurant. Puzo was a regular at the restaurant while he was writing the book.

Additionally, Puzo actually wrote Patsy's Italian restaurant into the book. While the address was different, the restaurant was described as a place a character frequented up to his death. While the real life Patsy's wasn't featured in the tremendously popular Francis Ford Coppola film, the restaurant was far from ignored by the production. Coppola brought the cast, including Marlon Brando, to Patsy's before shooting on the film began in order to help them get into their characters. The many connections to one of the most famous, even if not real, gangsters in American history makes Patsy's a must visit for mafia fanatics.

Some say Las Vegas is a city practically built by the mafia, which is one reason why gangsters feature in Las Vegas themes often. The mob presence and control in the city has largely been replaced by people and corporations with deep pockets, but the remnants of the Vegas' mob roots are still present. As far as restaurants go, Piero's Italian Cuisine is the place to dine for history lovers who want to experience a little piece of past mob lore.

Piero's was founded by Freddie Glusman, and the Italian restaurant has welcomed mobsters and celebrities alike as patrons since its opening in 1982. Mob related arrests were made at Piero's in 2005, in which former NYPD officers were put in handcuffs over multiple murders of a NYC crime family. Before it was Pietro's, though, it was Villa D'Este. Back then, it was owned by Chicago-based mobster Sam Giancana's driver.

The Vegas restaurant is also a part of the mob's entertainment presence. It was famously featured as a filming location in the mafia-centered movie "Casino." Piero's was chosen not only because of its ties to real life organized crime members, but because the restaurant has an old school gangster vibe to it.

There are a few notable mob hit sites that have taken place at restaurants, and they are typically pretty bloody. This is where Detroit's Machus Red Fox stands out, though, as it's not connected to a mob hit as much as it is a mob disappearance. Jimmy Hoffa, who was a frequent customer at the restaurant, was last seen at Machus Red Fox in 1975. It is widely believed that his disappearance is connected to the mob, and that he was picked up and "whacked" after a missed meeting at the restaurant.

Hoffa, who was a respected union activist for blue collar workers turned mobster, was set to meet with a pair of fellow organized crime members. They were to meet at Machus Red Fox, likely because it was one of Hoffa's favorite places to eat. He left without meeting them, as they were no-shows, and called his wife to let her know when to expect him home. He never made it there. It's believed he was killed by the mafia because of threats he allegedly made to expose the mob after being pushed out of his position of power within it. What actually happened to Hoffa remains an unsolved mystery, with Machus Red Fox at its center.

The parking lot for Ochsner Medical Center on the outskirts of New Orleans was once a much more exciting place. This was the site of The Beverly Club, an illegal and happening casino run by some of the most notorious names of the time. Frank Costello, though he is most known for running his operation in New York, expanded the Luciano crime family into New Orleans and helped found The Beverly Club. He was joined by Carlos Marcello, head of the New Orleans mob, and "Dandy" Philip Kastel, another NYC mobster, in starting up the popular, high brow club.

The Beverly Club became a major hotspot for the privileged as a luxury place to let off some steam. Illegal at the time, gambling was a huge draw of the dinner club, as well as high profile entertainers. Its life as a mob hangout was somewhat short lived, as it was shut down for illegal gambling once and then rebranded after Kastel died. Nonetheless, the club's connection to Costello, the blueprint for "The Godfather," and other mobsters is enough to earn a spot in history books.