General Info:
Dating back to the Old West the public has had a fascination with outlaws. From the time of Jesse James and Billy the Kid through Al Capone, John Gotti and the fictional Corleone and Soprano families we have, for some inexplicable reason, been drawn to bad guys with style.
While Chicago has its tales of Al Capone and New Yorkers talk of John Gotti, Denver's criminal enterprises were controlled by three brothers from the northwest side of town and Gaetano's figures prominently into their story. Sit back, enjoy a soft drink or a cocktail and take a moment now to discover the rich history of Denver's most colorful and notorious family and the restaurant they founded.
In 1934, Ralph and Mamie Smaldone, parents of Eugene, Clyde and Clarence, opened the Tejon Street Café on the northwest side of Denver. The year was 1947 when the three sons moved the restaurant to the corner, renamed it Gaetano's "Italian for Clyde" and began serving some of the best Italian food in town. Soon, in several ways, it was one of the hottest spots in town.
Based on long experience with the Smaldones, the police suspected the brothers were serving up more than just fine food.
Eugene and Clyde had long criminal histories. Denver police believed they were the bosses of a thriving Mafia operation and that Gaetano's was the hub of an extensive criminal enterprise. While patrons enjoyed pasta and red sauce on the main floor, "family business" was conducted in a private room in the basement. One report claimed the brothers kept more than $200,000 in the basement office and loaned out more than $30,000 a day at 5 percent interest a week. The front door was made of (and still is) bulletproof glass.
The Smaldones came of age in a time when Denver was a rowdy, wide-open town. Bootlegging booze was a booming business; gambling was illegal but tolerated with a wink and a nod; and gangsters roamed the streets.
Clyde, who was known as "Flip Flop," was born in 1906 and 12 years later was sent to reform school in Golden. "Checkers," as Eugene would come to be known, was born in 1910 and at 15 followed his older brother to Golden. By 1930 they had more than 25 arrests between them.
Over the next fifty years, the brothers, along with their lower profile, but equally incarcerated sibling, Chauncey (as Clarence was called), became local celebrities through their exploits, earning headlines in The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News the likes of, "Smaldone Brothers Enter Guilty Plea," "Smaldones Guilty!" "Smaldone Racket Secrets Told," and "Smaldones Sent to Pen for 60 Years!"
The brothers did keep the police and the courts busy through eight decades, from 1918 (when Flip Flop went to reform school) to 1982 (when Checkers, Chauncey and a cousin pleaded guilty to loan sharking, illegal firearms possession and tax evasion). And they were investigated for (but never convicted of) a number of murders and former Denver manager of Public Safety William Blood in 1953. Other Information:
Parking: Lot, Private
Wi-Fi: Free
Bike Parking: Yes
Attire: Casual
Good For Family: Yes
Good For Groups: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Take Out: Yes
Cuisines: Delivery, Mediterranean, Caterers, Family Style, Take Out, Italian, European, Continental, Pizza
Alcohol: Full Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes