Back in 1983 I went to Las Vegas. While staying there my wife and I were dying for good Italian food. Well we get into a cab and lo and behold the driver is from Brooklyn. So I ask him if there are any good Italian Resturants. He tells me to leave it up to him and he will take me to one. Well we are driving and he turns off the strip so now I am getting a bit nervous. He pulls up to this place that looks like a Factory. It has a Long Canopy leading up to a steel door and a red carpet on the ground. The driver gives me his card and tells me that when my wife and i are done with dinner that we should have the Matir'D call him to pick us up. He tells us to walk up to the door and knock. So we get out, we walk up to the door and knock. The door opens and we enter this really beautifull place. We are seated and as I am looking around I notice that there are Godfather Pictures all over the place. The waiters, etc. are all dressed like gangsters, wearing spats, etc. So when the waiter comes to our table, I say " Gee, the owner must really be a huge GF fan." he replies " Don't you know who's place this is." and I tell him that I don't. So he tells me to wait a minute and walks away. Several minutes later a well dressed gentleman approaches our table with a rose in his hand. He gives it to my wife and then I realize who it is: Carlo Rizzi, Gianni Russo! He starts to talk with us, I tell him what a huge fan of GF that I am, and that I am from New York, etc. He buys my wife and I drinks. Turn's out the name of the place was " Gianni Russo's State Street "

I also met Pacino, twice. Once as a kid when he was filming Dog Day Afternoon. My uncle had a business where they were shooting and they told him that they needed extras for the spectators on the side lines. So he took me and my cousin there. After the shoot Pacino walks into my uncle's store and hangs out. I was a kid then. But several years ago ( I shared this in the Chat last week ) I went to a private party for my Goddaughter who was breaking into the music business, and Pacino was there. I breifly spoke to him. A pretty shy guy.


Don Cardi