Those who have lived in New York for many years have one name etched in their memories. It is “Il Monello,” an Italian restaurant that opened in 1974 and has remained for more than three decades a symbol of Italian-American cuisine in the United States.

Today, after being closed for a long time, Il Monello has reopened its doors to the public at 337 East 49th Street, in the heart of a Turtle Bay, a neighborhood not usually associated with  Italian restaurants.