restaurant associates bought this place and milked it for all they could, it died a slow death. there aren't many companies that they owned that survived.

[www.restaurantassociates.com]
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2009 04:20PM by askanewyorker.

I went to Mama Leones several times in the 80's...lived upstate NY at that time.
What fun!..the strolling accordianist...I was asked to sing...got a standing ovation by patrons...So I always say I played just Off Broadway...
I now take my grandson to a musical every time I go back upstate, from Fl. now, wanted to take him to Mamas....Was shocked...he will miss this experience... Things change too much...He would have remembered this his entire life.

i spent many a night at mama leone's restaurant. dinner was always wonderful and what made it even better was that my uncle anthony played the guitar with his trio there every night. i really miss those times and all the good memories i had there, especially during carnivale.

Ate there after a play, Jesus Christ Super Star in the 70's. They sat a bunch of HIGH school students in the wine cellar, what a mistake

I also had the distinct pleasure of dining at Mamma Leone's during the early 70's. What a shame it is closed. I ate in a lot of restaurants in NYC during my time, but Mamma Leone's is the one I remember the best

I ate there in the mid-60's during a NYC family weekend. I was about 10 years old and remember getting a bunch of courses to eat. It all seemed boring to me until the main course arrived and I got to taste the pasta that I had been waiting for.

I wish I could go there now and appreciate all the other courses that did not appeal to me as a kid.

Too bad they are no longer open.

I am the great nephew of Maria Leone, the original owner of MAMA Leone, of NYC.the restaurant was sold many years ago.The MAMA leones restaurants you find in other states are not affiliated to the original restaurant in NYC.As far as the cook book of my great aunts I am not aware of its existense.I was told by my grandmother who was her niece that she highly doubts it was from her aunt.the place was sold to a jewish family and who knows after that.the original place was a very good place to eat,from what i was told.I am sorry but I cannot give you a time line of all these events,as my grandmother and all her siblings have passed away.I know that the restaurant was sold pre 1970 but exactly when I dont know.It has been nice to read the comments of those of you who knew of and eat there though.thanks

one of my fav references to mama leone's was when "they" introduced the cleaning product janitor in a drum. the advert showed trays of food tipping and flying, food crashing and splashing to the floor, and pots and pans spilling in the kitchen. the voice over said "here at mama leone's were they spill more food than any resturant would hope to serve they clean up with janitor in a drum.

during the eighties mama leone's as well as many other sucesssful restaurants were acquired by ARA. It was during the same time regional and local breweries were being acquired by large corporations. the products were changed to suit corporate objectives and all those products and businesses failed and disapeared.

hmmmmmmmm - sorta just happened to some banks didn't it.

I also have a framed one from 1977. I agree, it's a treasure!

Wow! to Mama Leone's descendants, it is such a loss to the city of N.Y.; plan to go there some time sooner than later & the one place I kept menu from, a place unknown to me, lost in the rain, finding refuge to such warmth in the late 60's, what with an opera singer and warm loaf of bread, brick of cheese & antipasto, all before I even ordered anything, what more can one say? welcome to NY! it was magical, sopping wet, we relished in the warmwest atmosphere and delightful cuisine..so VERY sad to hear it's gone. Anyone know of a similar place, if that's possible?

What year did Mama Leones close?