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Old Canteen

1956 establishments in Rhode IslandFederal Hill, Providence, Rhode IslandItalian-American culture in Providence, Rhode IslandItalian-American organized crimeItalian restaurants in the United States
Restaurants in Rhode Island

The Old Canteen is an Italian restaurant in Federal Hill, Providence, Rhode Island opened by Joe Marzilli in 1956. They were Rhode Island’s oldest family owned restaurant and noted for their famous guests, particularly Mayor Buddy Cianci (when he died in 2016, they left his regular table empty in his honor) who has brought Frank Sinatra with him to dine.Raymond L. S. Patriarca, boss of the Patriarca crime family, was a regular that held “top-level meetings” there according to his FBI files.Patriarca would use the apartment above the restaurant to host card games “when there was something private going on.”In 2022, owner and head chef Sal Marzilli wanted to retire and was putting the restaurant up for sale after more than 65 years.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Old Canteen (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Old Canteen
Atwells Avenue, Providence

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N 41.82312 ° E -71.42196 °
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Federal Hill Wine & Spirits

Atwells Avenue 125
02902 Providence
Rhode Island, United States
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Macaroni Riots
Macaroni Riots

The Macaroni Riots were a series of civil disturbances that took place in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1914. The first riot occurred on the night of August 29 and was followed by additional nights of rioting on August 30 and September 7. The food riot stemmed from an increase in the price of food, particularly pasta products such as macaroni, that affected the predominately Italian American population of Federal Hill in 1914. On August 22, socialist activists held a peaceful rally to protest the price increases, and on August 29, another rally turned violent as a mob of about 1,000 people marched down Atwells Avenue and looted the store of Frank P. Ventrone, a local food wholesaler who had been accused of profiteering. The angry mob caused thousands of dollars in damages and threw pasta products into the streets before police officers restored order. Additional rioting broke out the following night. Following this, socialist activists negotiated with Ventrone's associates and were able to broker a deal where he would sell his product at a reduced cost. Following a peaceful week, another riot occurred on the night of September 7 following a Labor Day rally that caused more property damage than the previous two riots combined. While additional rallies and protests occurred after this, the price protests slowly died down. The rioting, which resulted in several thousand dollars in property damage, was the most severe civil disturbance in Providence since the Dorr Rebellion of 1841. In the end, 50 people were arrested and several dozen were injured, including at least 14 by gunshot wounds. Most of the arrested were charged with reveling and given light fines, while two people were found guilty of more severe charges and sentenced to several months in jail. In addition to the price increases, historians point to anti-Italian discrimination, especially among the police, and organization by radical groups such as the Industrial Workers of the World as contributing to the violence.