▁ 4 5 5 ▁East ▁ 1 1 4 th ▁Street , ▁on ▁the ▁corner ▁of ▁Ple asant ▁Avenue ▁in ▁East ▁Har lem , ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁with ▁sister ▁restaur ants ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁Las ▁Veg as , ▁Nev ada . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁restaurant ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁by ▁Josh ua ▁Anthony ▁R ao , ▁who ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁parents ▁from ▁Italy ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁bought ▁a ▁small ▁shop ▁in ▁Italian ▁Har lem , ▁once ▁a ▁very ▁large ▁Italian - American ▁community , ▁and ▁ran ▁the ▁restaurant ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁Louis ▁R ao ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁business . ▁He ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁many ▁as ▁a ▁very ▁su ave ▁man . ▁He ▁had ▁his ▁hair ▁cut ▁at ▁the ▁Wald orf - A st oria ▁Hotel , ▁and ▁wore ▁many ▁fancy ▁su its . ▁Form er ▁co - owner ▁Frank ▁P elle gr ino ▁described ▁those ▁days ▁as ▁" the ▁days ▁of ▁big ▁Cad illa cs ▁and ▁usually ▁convert ibles ." ▁He ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁in ▁behavior ▁and ▁looks ▁and ▁ref ined ▁the ▁cu is ine ▁into ▁a ▁simpler ▁Italian ▁menu , ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁" A unt ▁J ake ." ▁After ▁Vincent ▁R ao ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁restaurant ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁Frank ▁P elle gr ino , ▁Anna ▁P elle gr ino ▁R ao ' s ▁nep hew , ▁and ▁Ron ald ▁Stra ci ,