Vanishing NY: the real, original Ray’s Pizza closing in Little Italy

The real, first, and original Ray’s Pizza at 27 Prince St. closes its doors forever on Sunday, September 25th, when the San Gennero Festival packs up its tents and zeppole fryers for the year.  Ray’s Pizza has been at this location in Little Italy since 1959, when a guy named Ralph Cuomo opened it, and decided to call it Ray’s Pizza instead of Ralph’s Pizza.  There have been all kinds of lawsuits over the years against other guys who opened pizza places and called themselves Original Ray’s or Famous Original Ray’s to trade on the reputation and popularity of the real, original Ray’s, plus lawsuits within Ralph Cuomo’s own family since his death in 2009, about the Ray’s Pizza lease.  The closing of the real, original Ray’s Pizza is important enough that the NY Times reported on it recently, along with the news that Ralph’s relatives are looking for a new location.  Read the NY Times history of Ray’s Pizza here.   Just six months ago, the equally legendary Manganaro’s Ninth Ave.  Deli closed — read my NYC on the Cheap article here.  So grab a slice, or a whole pie, or an order of chicken parmesan from the real, first, original Ray’s Pizza before it’s gone.