MONTICELLO'S,was a premier men's clothing store owned by the Barbato family. Located on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence, It closed in 1994.The plaza that once housed only Montcello's was subdivided and rented out.
LOL never forget the huge "C" the FBI cut into Mr. Nick's tree and how all the "families" laughed for months about what obvious idiots they are. Or when Joe ran across the street with the gun to get the people who broke into the store at 3am, before the cops got there, and realized it was the feds, blowing their entire cover, to the point where they had no choice but to come into the store and take all the bugs out of the store in front of everyone because they were afraid Joe or Bobby were going to shoot them down for breaking in their property.....ahhhh the good memories!
Ok I was looking around at some old stuff and this blog popped up and I figured I'd contribute. I am Bobby's son Robert and most of you around my age of 51 would know me. Let's set the record straight on this one. My uncle Joey lived next door to the store 2nd floor above Pizazz Hair Studio. He was the absolute best. I had more fun growing up with him as an uncle. Of course my uncle Donald was always around as well. We were a very close family and even with all the brothers gone ( Uncle Donald was the last he passed away last year) we all still are. Uncle Joey was like a pit bull when it came to our family. God forbid someone try to hurt any of us in any way. He would watch the building out his window at night. On the night in question here he spotted 3 people at the back of the building trying to unscrew a 3foot by 3 foot mechanical flap fan. This was an exhaust fan for the generator room in the building so when the generator kicked on the fan would turn on as well and the flaps would open to suck out the hot air. I remember as a teen sneaking cigarettes in that room and the fan would suck out the smoke. Uncle Joe did yell which startled them and they jumped in their car and sped away. He called the NPPD who in turn stopped them on 146 before branch ave. They could not identify themselves so they were taken to the department where things must have been hashed out and they were released. The next day Mayor Sal told my dad it was FBI. Now for the record the FBI tried for years to get surveillance mechanisms into the building but THEY NEVER DID. What they did do was sit across the street in the old wedding dress building up in the top floor of that turret looking building and record all activity for days and weeks at a time. Pretty annoying to say the least, having every single move you make under constant scrutiny. Even at the house they would sit across and down the street just to see who came and went. We still own all the property and several of the surrounding houses. My dad passed away in 2006 pretty much of a broken heart when they found out my mom had lung cancer. He passed after a stress ulcer burst and infected his body undetected and my mom passed 7 months later succumbing to the lung cancer. 2 of the greatest people in my life gone poof just like that. I moved away with my wife in 1995 after my dad retired but we were so close I still spoke to him every single day and sometimes several times a day just to shoot the shit. I did this every day until the day he passed away. if there's anything else you would like to discuss please feel free.
I remember your uncle's! I was a manufacturer rep for a clothing company in Phila. And did business with them. Great guys and I enjoyed the time with them. Always treated me great! Sorry to hear they are gone!
Bob Jr; I had a dream last night and the store was in it… So I googled it this morning and came upon this blog and your post. I had the pleasure of meeting Gloria and Joe when I was in high school in the early 70s, a friend of mine was dating your cousin Paula at the time. I ended up spending a lot of time at the house just below Steven Oln ey park in North Providence, Your cousin Cheryl and I became friends and we eventually dated for a while. Your uncle Joe became friends and he asked me to give your cousin Joe Jr driving lessons. he let me keep a motorcycle that I had purchased without my parents permission in the garage, do you remember the two Dobermans, Dobe and Carne? I remember being at your family home in Cranston with Cheryl; If memory serves it was not too far from theTanzi family home.I also did some of the renovation and paint work in the basement of your uncle Joe’s house next door to the store with a friend pizzazz moved in. I have been out of state since the early 80s and have lost touch… I am very sorry to hear of the passing of your mom and dad and your uncle Joe… I will say some prayers for them. God Bless
Now known as the Opal Plaza - across from Burger King on Mineral Spring Ave
ReplyDeleteOr as the paper and news would put it "The Mobstercellos Meeting Palace"
ReplyDeleteLOL never forget the huge "C" the FBI cut into Mr. Nick's tree and how all the "families" laughed for months about what obvious idiots they are. Or when Joe ran across the street with the gun to get the people who broke into the store at 3am, before the cops got there, and realized it was the feds, blowing their entire cover, to the point where they had no choice but to come into the store and take all the bugs out of the store in front of everyone because they were afraid Joe or Bobby were going to shoot them down for breaking in their property.....ahhhh the good memories!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's so crazy but awesome at the same time!
DeleteOk I was looking around at some old stuff and this blog popped up and I figured I'd contribute. I am Bobby's son Robert and most of you around my age of 51 would know me. Let's set the record straight on this one. My uncle Joey lived next door to the store 2nd floor above Pizazz Hair Studio. He was the absolute best. I had more fun growing up with him as an uncle. Of course my uncle Donald was always around as well. We were a very close family and even with all the brothers gone ( Uncle Donald was the last he passed away last year) we all still are. Uncle Joey was like a pit bull when it came to our family. God forbid someone try to hurt any of us in any way. He would watch the building out his window at night. On the night in question here he spotted 3 people at the back of the building trying to unscrew a 3foot by 3 foot mechanical flap fan. This was an exhaust fan for the generator room in the building so when the generator kicked on the fan would turn on as well and the flaps would open to suck out the hot air. I remember as a teen sneaking cigarettes in that room and the fan would suck out the smoke. Uncle Joe did yell which startled them and they jumped in their car and sped away. He called the NPPD who in turn stopped them on 146 before branch ave. They could not identify themselves so they were taken to the department where things must have been hashed out and they were released. The next day Mayor Sal told my dad it was FBI. Now for the record the FBI tried for years to get surveillance mechanisms into the building but THEY NEVER DID. What they did do was sit across the street in the old wedding dress building up in the top floor of that turret looking building and record all activity for days and weeks at a time. Pretty annoying to say the least, having every single move you make under constant scrutiny. Even at the house they would sit across and down the street just to see who came and went. We still own all the property and several of the surrounding houses. My dad passed away in 2006 pretty much of a broken heart when they found out my mom had lung cancer. He passed after a stress ulcer burst and infected his body undetected and my mom passed 7 months later succumbing to the lung cancer. 2 of the greatest people in my life gone poof just like that. I moved away with my wife in 1995 after my dad retired but we were so close I still spoke to him every single day and sometimes several times a day just to shoot the shit. I did this every day until the day he passed away. if there's anything else you would like to discuss please feel free.
DeleteI remember your uncle's! I was a manufacturer rep for a clothing company in Phila. And did business with them. Great guys and I enjoyed the time with them. Always treated me great! Sorry to hear they are gone!
ReplyDeleteBob Jr; I had a dream last night and the store was in it… So I googled it this morning and came upon this blog and your post. I had the pleasure of meeting Gloria and Joe when I was in high school in the early 70s, a friend of mine was dating your cousin Paula at the time. I ended up spending a lot of time at the house just below Steven Oln
ReplyDeleteey park in North Providence, Your cousin Cheryl and I became friends and we eventually dated for a while. Your uncle Joe became friends and he asked me to give your cousin Joe Jr driving
lessons. he let me keep a motorcycle that I had purchased without my parents permission in the garage, do you remember the two Dobermans, Dobe and Carne?
I remember being at your family home
in Cranston with Cheryl; If memory serves it was not too far from theTanzi family home.I also did some of the renovation and paint work in the basement of your uncle Joe’s house next door to the store with a friend pizzazz moved in. I have been out of state since the early 80s and have lost touch… I am very sorry to hear of the passing of your mom and dad and your uncle Joe… I will say some prayers for them. God Bless
hi Robert i Sorry to hear they are gone.i will say prayers for them.i miss family .
ReplyDelete