‘It hurts my heart to see them go’
After 70 years in Astoria, Riccardo’s by the Bridge permanently closes due to COVID-19
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Melanie Murillo created
many memories throughout
the years at Riccardo’s by the
Bridge — a beloved restaurant
and event venue in Astoria
— but her fondest was her
wedding day.
“You guys treated us just
like family,” Murillo wrote in
a comment under the restaurant’s
Facebook post announcing
it will be closing permanently.
“You put us at ease
and took off all the stress and
we were so thankful. We will
never ever forget you all!”
After nearly 70 years of
serving the Astoria community,
Riccardo’s by the Bridge
announced the closure on
Sept. 1, due to the operational
impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic.
“This decision has been extremely
difficult to make, and
is solely due to the various impacts
of the COVID pandemic;
if it were up to us we would
cater your special events forever,”
Anthony Corbisiero,
president of Riccardo’s, wrote
in an open letter. “But after
reviewing all options and
weighing all known factors,
there is simply no realistic
path forward given all of the
unknowns: when we might
reopen and, even then, the anticipated
city, state and federal
restrictions that will most
definitely be placed on such a
reopening.”
Murillo told QNS the
closure is a “huge loss” for
Queens and the whole city.
“It hurts my heart to see
them go,” she said. “There
will never be another like it
or the people who ran it with
such love.”
Murillo is not alone in her
sentiments. Dozens of community
members have expressed
their melancholy at the news
of yet another Queens restaurant
permanently shutting
down as a result of the city’s
months on lockdown.
But Riccardo’s closure is
particularly striking due to
the decades of history and
countless celebrations held
inside the venue, right by the
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
(once called the Triborough
Bridge).
If you ask some of Queens’
community members what
their favorite tidbit of Riccardo’s
history is, it will
most likely be that iconic jazz
singer-songwriter (and Astorian)
Tony Bennett worked
as a waiter at the restaurant
before he became an awardwinning
artist.
Shortly after the announcement
of the restaurant’s closure,
Bennett took to Twitter
to express his own sadness of
seeing the restaurant go.
“When I was starting out,
I got a job as a singing waiter
at Riccardo’s in Astoria,” he
wrote. “I always felt that if I
never made it as a performer, I
would still be happy as a singing
waiter. I’m very sorry to
hear of its closing after nearly
70 years.”
Like Bennett, many
Queens residents remember
with much tenderness working
at Riccardo’s as well as
celebrating school dances,
graduations, proms, birthdays,
quinceañeras, sweet
16s, weddings, anniversaries
and political events in
their state-of-the-art banquet
facility.
Celeste Spriggly said she
grew up going to Riccardo’s
for a myriad of celebrations —
from New Years Eve parties to
the celebration of St. Mary’s
Church in Long Island City,
where she met her soulmate,
Claudio.
Two years ago, they had
their wedding there.
“What makes me sad the
most is that I won’t be able
to drop in to say hi to Tony,
Mark, Nina, John, Edison,
Fausto and all the wonderful
staff at Riccardo’s,” said
Spriggly. “Thank you for all
the wonderful memories,
the most beautiful memories,
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.12 COM | SEPT. 18-SEPT. 25, 2020
and giving us a piece of
your hearts.”
Nicole Libertini recalled
her father, Mario, working at
Riccardo’s from 1965 to 1989.
“It was like a family,” she said.
Laura Ciechalski remembers
sometimes going to work
with her grandmother, Margaret
Degnan, who lived right
across Riccardo’s and worked
there as a coat check attendant
in the 1970s. Ciechaski
even had her first Shirley
Temple there.
“I always remember her
being so happy while she
worked there. Everyone was
always very good to her,” said
Ciechalski. “I remember going
there on so many occasions
as a young girl, being
almost star-struck by the
beauty of the establishment —
everyone dressed in beautiful
suits and gowns and all of the
fancy cars. I was so young, so
I don’t remember much more
than that. It was always a
happy place.”
Francesca Miano recalled
her own grandfather, Mike
Lodebole, worked at Riccardo’s
as the maitre d’ in the
1960s.
Riccardo’s closing points
to larger issues the restaurant
industry face in New York
City. The Queens Chamber
of Commerce projected that
more than half of the restaurants
that have closed in the
borough since March likely
won’t reopen.
For months, small businesses
across the borough
have called for immediate
action and relief from Gov.
Andrew Cuomo and Mayor
Bill de Blasio to prevent the
economic and quality-of-life
collapse that may result of the
pandemic.
Astoria native and local
Councilman Costa Constantinides
said it breaks his heart
to see “such a civic-minded
restaurant with a rich history
like Riccardo’s close down.”
“So many groups have done
their events at Riccardo’s that
it became an institution like
few others in our neighborhood,”
he said. “Seeing it close
only reminds us why we must
cancel rent and mortgage payments
for restaurants as the
city develops a plan to really
support small businesses.
Whether it’s a plan for indoor
dining at reduced capacity
or a stimulus for restaurants
and their employees, we need
creative solutions to get the
industry through the other
side of this pandemic. Otherwise,
Riccardo’s will be far
from the last Astoria institution
to shut its doors.”
Stephanie Laterza said
the closing of Riccardo’s is
especially heartbreaking for
her family this year, as her
father, George, passed away
in April.
“My parents, George and
Maria Laterza, celebrated
their wedding reception at
Riccardo’s in 1978, and then
their 25th wedding anniversary
there in 2003,” she said.
“We are grateful to have
also celebrated my father’s
80th birthday party at Riccardo’s
10 years ago,” said
Stephanie.
In 2008, 30 years after her
parents’ wedding reception,
Stephanie celebrated her own
reception at Riccardo’s.
She said that over the
years, extended family members
and their friends celebrated
countless events for
organizations like the Lions
Club, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s
Diamond Bingo Club
and HANAC.
Maria Baglio grew up in
Astoria. She recalls going to
many parties at Riccardo’s.
Like Stephanie, Baglio also
had a family member recently
pass away.
“This hits home more than
ever because my aunt passed
away on May 25, and we celebrated
her 50th birthday
there in 2013,” said Baglio.
“She beat cervical cancer is
2013, so we decided to throw
her a celebration for that as
well as a 50th. Four years
later, she was diagnosed with
lung cancer. My mother and I
were just talking about how
beautiful her party was and
how she had a wonderful
time. We were also so grateful
we were able to celebrate her
milestone birthday.”
Eileen Lyons recalled two
generations of her family celebrating
their wedding receptions
at Riccardo’s Tiffany
Room.
“We have gone to many
events there since: New
Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day,
church, anniversary and
Knights of Columbus events,”
she said. “In October 1999 we
had the christening party
for our daughter there as
well. We have always been
pleased with the food and service
they provided. We were
there last in January of 2020
for a Knights of Columbus
award ceremony. We will
miss this special place in the
neighborhood.”
Astoria native Mercedes
Maldonado Jennings said
she married her high school
sweetheart at Riccardo’s.
“We got married 13 years
ago and had our wedding
reception in Riccardo’s Tiffany
Room on Friday, June
15, 2007,” said Maldonado Jennings.
“I actually watched
our wedding video the night
before last, and cried knowing
that that video is our only
trinket, other than my wedding
photos, and the memory
that my husband and I shared
one of the happiest days of our
lives there.”
Melanie and Victor Murillo in their wedding at Riccardo’s. Photo courtesy of Melanie Murillo