It is known as one of the toughest reservations to score in all of New York City since it is often frequented by celebrities and revered for their homemade meatballs, the restaurant is Rao’s and its owner Frank Pellegrino passed away from lung cancer at the age of 72 on Feb. 2.
In addition to his restaurateur endeavors, Pellegrino was an actor, often appearing in gritty mobster movies and television shows such as Goodfellas as Johnny Dio and The Sopranos as Frank Cubitoso. It was not only Pellegrino who could be seen on-screen but his restaurant as well. Jordan Belfort and his hedge firm associates could be seen eating at Rao’s in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. He also expressed his love for Italian cooking through his cookbooks, “Rao’s Cookbook” and "Rao’s Recipes from the Neighborhood."
Longtime friend, Charlie Gasparino, of Pellegrino said in a Facebook post:
“My good friend Frankie Pellegrino died this afternoon after a bout with lung cancer. Most people know frank as the owner of Rao's, the super exclusive Italian restaurant in the old neighborhood of East Harlem, and from his various acting gigs (ie Goodfellas, the Sopranos) I was fortunate enough to know him as a friend...”
In tribute, Rao’s will be closed for one week. Pellegrino is survived by his son, Frankie Pellegrino Jr.- who owns the second Rao’s restaurant location at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas-and his wife and daughter.