"A Bronx Tale" Tribute Weekend is Planned for the Acclaimed Film by Rini's in Elmsford

Louis Vanaria who played Crazy Mario in Robert de Niro’s acclaimed 1993 film “A Bronx Tale” and Butch Barbella, the film’s music director, will appear on successive evenings (Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5) at Rini’s Restaurant & Wine Bar in Elmsford.

Vanaria will sing on Friday beginning at 7:30 p.m., accompanied by the music of Tony T. Entertainment. Butch Barbella and his Streets of The Bronx Band will provide the entertainment on Saturday starting at 8 p.m. Barbella was the music director for A Bronx Tale.

The dinner specials on both nights (September 4 and 5) will include twin whole Maine lobsters with a salad and a side dish (priced at only $32.95).

Vanaria made his film debut at the age of 17 in A Bronx Tale. He has appeared in many movies and television episodes — often playing a gangster or a police officer. He dined at Manhattan’s Rao’s in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a 2013 movie. (Among Rao’s claims to fame is that it is sold out for reservations a year in advance.)

Vanaria’s TV credits include roles in Blue Bloods, NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Person of Interest and many other programs. In the HBO Prohibition-era series “Boardwalk Empire,” he played the Philadelphia gangster and bootlegger Lucien D’Alessia who was shot and killed by Jimmy Darmody.

Butch Barbella, band leader and double keyboard player, and drummer Bobby Rusticiare are residents of Yonkers; Jerry Brown, lead singer and percussionist, lives in New Rochelle.

Barbella started out as a music director and composer and wrote the score for The Bronx Tale. He was the music director for The Duprees, the Earls, and Dion. He also wrote the original music for The Dukes, a 2008 movie about a once-famous band struggling to cope with changing times.

Barbella has been called Butch since birth. On his first day in school, his teacher called Butch’s mother and asked for his real name. “That’s the only name he’s ever been called,” the teacher was told.

Rini’s Restaurant & Wine Bar is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. It is located at 12 Main St. in Elmsford and has a parking lot. For more information, call 914-592-6799 or visit www.rinisrestaurante.com.