Although there's been some debate, people that grew up in Syosset, Long Island, New York, know that the BILLY JOEL song, 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant', was inspired by Christiano's Italian restaurant in Syosset, which BILLY JOEL frequent dozens of times, and NOT Fontana di Trevi in New York City as some people claim (BILLY JOEL wrote the song when he was in his twenties living on Long Island, and the song 'lyrics' reminisce about his teenage memories growing up on Long Island. Nothing is mentioned about New York City) BILLY JOEL is a Long Islander! Living in Hicksville, Long Island, N.Y. as a youngster, and before his solo career, he would became a member of a Syosset band named 'The Hassles'. (BILLY JOEL would replace Harry Weber, BILLY JOEL's first wive's brother) Almost all of the members of 'The Hassles' were from Syosset. So this is where BILLY JOEL meet his first wife, Elizabeth Weber from Syosset. Elizabeth's sister Mary Sue, later became BILLY JOEL's hairstylist. And their older brother, Frank Weber, would later became BILLY JOEL's manager. Also, BILLY JOEL's bass player, Doug Stegmeyer was from Syosset, as well as, BILLY JOEL's sound engineer, Brain Ruggles, who is still with BILLY JOEL today, 50 years and counting! How do I know all this? Because I was raised in Syosset, Long Island, N.Y., having moved there in 1960 from Bayside, Queens, as a youngster, and I went to Syosset High School with, and partied with, some of the above mentioned people.
Photo: ©John Marchut
Christiano's Italian restaurant in Syosset, N.Y. was the place to be seen back in the late 1960's thru the 1980's, and BILLY JOEL was no exception. And that's where I meet BILLY JOEL for the first time back in 1977. (Anyone remember the dollar bills on the ceiling of Christiano's?) That's another story, and I know the secret. Anyway, there was a 8x10 glass framed photo, autographed by BILLY JOEL to Christiano's, that hung on the wall behind the bar from the 1970's to about 2003, when it was apparently stolen off the wall. Below is the photo that was used. Read facts, stories and see photos on this website about Christiano's Italian restaurant in Photo Album 3. Photos > 10 thru 15.
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