The restaurant was started in 1896 by Charles Rao, who moved from Italy with his parents to America. He bought a small shop in Harlem, once a very large Italian community, and ran the restaurant until his death in 1909. Louis Rao took over the business. He was seen by many as a very suave man. He had his hair cut at the Waldorf-Astoria, and wore many fancy suits. Frank Pellegrino describes those days as "the days of big Cadillacs and usually convertibles." In 1958, when Louis Rao had died, Vincent Rao took over the family business. He was much more conservative in behavior and looks and refined the menu into a more simple Italian menu, with the help of "Aunt Jake". After Louis Rao's death in 1999, next door to the restaurant, it was taken over by Frank Pellegrino - Anna Pellegrino Rao's nephew, and Ron Straci - another close relative. Anna Pellegrino Rao refined the menu even more with the help of Vincent and she is the source of the menu's identity today.
It is a popular landmark in New York City because of its prestige and reputation in food. Rao's has only ten tables, which are purchased by very famous people, and they own those tables for life. Frank Sinatra owned a table in Rao's, and when he died, the table was put up for sale and bought by another famous musician. Even when the customer is not sitting at the table, it is not used by anyone else.
The Board of Directors is proud to honor FrankPellegrino as the CR&T Humanitarian for 2006 at the Cancer Suruivors Hall of Fame dinner November 9 at the Hilton in New York City.
Frank is a friend of CR&T and served as Dinner Chair in 2005.
Proprietor and nightly host at the famous Rao’s restaurant, FrankPellegrino was born in 1944 in East Harlem to Ida and Frank, who also came from the community.
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