THE COPARAZZI: RAO'S
By Vincent Casale
This past week Leo DiCaprio was spotted at East Harlem's favorite eatery, Rao's. This reminded me of my own roots. Around the corner from Rao's is where I was born, 116th street. I was christened at the old Mount Carmel Church, still there, and my family all went to Benjamin Franklin High, across the street from Rao's. I know that my Italian ancestry goes back to this area of Harlem at least to the turn of the last century, as does Rao's. In 1990 I was assigned to the NYPD film Unit. One afternoon production for a TV show, entitled, True Blue, was filming on 116th st and Pleasant ave. During a break I walked the two short blocks to Rao's on the corner of 114th st. Though I had heard about the establishments long history I had never been inside. As I descended the few steps into the small entrance a uniformed Policeman from the local precinct pulled me back. "You cannot be seen going in there in uniform," he said to me. "Why, " I replied. "Off limits to Police. Place has alleged mob ties." "Better get out of here then," I said. I shuffled back to the television set wondering why the covering of the city's ass has to revert to a patrol cop. I knew there were not only actors, socialites and sports figures that went into the famous restaurant, but politicians as well as many known celebrity retired detectives. It just reminded me that Rao's, though no fault of theirs, is famous for all but the diligent patrolman who walks the sometimes lonely beat up and around those now safe city blocks. Just saying!