Booking choice: The NYPD mafia and food tour, from $129 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
John's of 12th Street sits at 302 East 12th Street, just east of 2nd Avenue in the East Village, a mile north of Little Italy. It is an unusual place to start a mafia tour, and that is the point: the gang wars of the 1920s did not stay on Mulberry Street.
Here is the restaurant's mob history, what you eat there on the food tour, and how to find the meeting point.
The quick answer
John's of 12th Street opened in 1908 and ran a speakeasy upstairs during Prohibition. On 11 August 1922 the gunman Umberto Valenti was shot dead outside after a "peace" lunch; the young Lucky Luciano is believed to have been among the shooters. The food tour meets inside and eats there first; the morning walk meets in front.
What is John's of 12th Street?
An Italian restaurant at 302 East 12th Street in the East Village, open since 1908, which celebrated its 100th birthday in October 2008.
It is also where Police Tours has its office, which is why every version of the NYPD mafia tour starts here. Look for the red neon sign on 12th Street, just east of 2nd Avenue.
What happened at John's in 1922?
On 11 August 1922 Umberto Valenti, a gunman for the boss Toto D'Aquila, was shot dead outside the restaurant after a "peace" lunch with Joe Masseria's side.
The shooters are believed to have included a young Lucky Luciano and Vito Genovese. The killing strengthened Masseria and helped make Luciano's name, years before he reshaped the New York families. Your guide tells the story on the sidewalk where it happened.
Want to hear the 1922 story where it happened? The food tour starts at a table inside John's.
Check dates for the NYPD mafia and food tourWas John's a speakeasy?
Yes: during Prohibition the restaurant ran a speakeasy upstairs.
The candles are part of that story. The story goes that the restaurant started its wax-covered candelabras to celebrate the end of Prohibition, and they have been burning and dripping ever since, so the wax has built up into thick white mounds.
Who else is linked to John's?
The anarchist editor Carlo Tresca, shot dead on 11 January 1943 after dining at John's.
It is one of several stories that make the restaurant, in the words of one guest, "literally the scene of a crime".
Was John's in The Sopranos?
Yes. The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire both filmed at John's of 12th Street.
The walk also passes other Sopranos filming spots further south. If you are a fan, ask your guide which scenes were shot where.
Food tour full on your date? The second listing of the same NYPD tour also starts with dinner at John's.
Explore the NYPD mafia history walk with dinnerWhat do you eat at John's on the tour?
A full portion of spaghetti and meatballs on the evening food tour, or spaghetti marinara on the 11 AM start.
Vegetarian meals are available if you ask ahead. Drinks are not included. The $79 walk does not eat at John's; it meets outside and ends with a cannoli in Little Italy. See NYPD mafia tour prices for exactly what each ticket includes.
Where exactly do you meet?
At 302 East 12th Street, at 2nd Avenue: inside the restaurant for the food tour, in front of it for the morning walk.
The nearest subway stops are 3rd Avenue and 1st Avenue on the L train and Astor Place on the 6. Arrive 10 minutes early: tours leave on time and the restaurant is busy. For the food tour, tell the staff you are with the tour.
How far is John's from Little Italy?
About a mile: the tour walks south past St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and the Bowery before it reaches Mulberry Street.
That is why roughly the first half of the tour is East Village history, not Little Italy. For the Mulberry Street stops, see Little Italy mafia sites.
Like the idea of starting with dinner? The food tour sits you down at John's, then walks it off.
Check dates for the NYPD mafia and food tourFrequently asked questions
Can I eat at John's of 12th Street without the tour?
Yes, it is a working restaurant open to anyone. The tour is a way to hear its history from a police guide and have the meal included.
Is John's of 12th Street in Little Italy?
No. It is in the East Village, about a mile north of Mulberry Street. The tour walks from one to the other.
Does the $79 walk include dinner at John's?
No. The walk meets outside John's and includes a cannoli; only the 11 AM option adds a pasta lunch.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Mafia & Local Food Tour with an NYPD Guide
- Walking tour led by a retired or active NYPD detective or officer
- Full-portion spaghetti and meatballs at John's of 12th Street (the 11 AM start serves spaghetti marinara)
- A full-size Sicilian cannoli in Little Italy; vegetarian meals on request
Mafia History Walk with Italian Dinner
The second listing of the NYPD food tour: try it when your date is full
