Remembering the 1972 Neapolitan Noodle "Mistaken Identity" Shootings
EXPANDED Frank "Punchy" Illiano added Larry Gallo and Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo outside Brooklyn Supreme Court, October 25, 1965. The mistaken identity slayings left two dead. And The Godfather was playing in New York theaters at the time. This past week marked The Godfather's 45th anniversary as an Academy Award triumph, cementing its status as one of the greatest films ever made. Released in 1972, it received 11 nominations and emerged with three Oscars. The Godfather II, released in 1974, also got 11 nominations, and won six Oscars. (We won't mention Godfather Part III.) Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola expressed regrets about making both sequels, including The Godfather Part II. In 2011, Coppola, when asked if he'd ever consider returning to the story, said: 'There should have only been one." In August 1972 four innocent businessmen were blasted at the Neapolitan Noodle restaurant at 320 Eas...