A famous ItalianFood restaurant in TokyoJapan, known as the first of its kind in the early 1950s. It was (and still is, albeit in different form) known for serving up classic Italian PizzaFood, PastaFood, VealParmigianaFood, and DraftBeer. Its early reputation flourished among GangsterMen, AmericanDiplomats, PoliticalLobbyists, and other men of ill favor in proper society.
History
It was opened by one Nicola Zappetti, a cunning and sharp businessman of Italian extraction who was spoken of in hushed tones all around town: spending a childhood around the ItalianMob, he came to Tokyo in the aftermath of WorldWarTwo. Almost as soon as he arrived, he found his footing hawking black market wares (including drugs and alcohol) with Lansco, until its eventual demise at the hands of FuckinUglyReds under his employ. He was a close pal and confidant of nearly every major player in Japanese OrganizedCrime (See: HisayukiMachii, RikidozanWrestler, YoshioKodama, KenjiOsano, RikueiTanaka) and wielded his influence with iron strength. After a minor stint in the Japanese ProWrestling racket (which was also a financial tool of the YakuzaGangs and CorruptPoliticians), he was arrested as an accomplice in a major diamond heist at a Tokyo hotel. Spending nearly a year in prison, he agonized over what to do. Reading books by candelight in a dim and cold hovel he was squatting in, it occurred to him: he could cook. He applied himself to the study of his homeland's cuisine with everything he had, and began the search for an investor. After cycling through some 20 or 30 tight lipped InvestmentBanker losers, he finally found someone. Finding himself a handsome spot in Roppongi, Tokyo, he began haggling with a Chinese tailor upstairs. After much frustration, the space was finally signed to him on the condition that Zappetti boost his own business by increasing foot traffic via the restaurant. Almost overnight, the restaurant became a sensation. Men of repute such as HarryBelafonte, FrankSinatra, and others were known to haunt Nicolas. Moreover, it became known as the seedy ThirdSpace where organized crime began to plot its inevitable expansion around the city.
Further Reading
For further reading, consult the book Tokyo Underworld by Robert Whiting.
Also of note is the Nicola's WebSite: https://www-nicolas--pizzahouse-com.translate.goog/about.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp