Autumn Years Fall 2024

Gambling The Crow’s Nest was a Bergen County landmark at the junction of Routes 17 and 80 (309 Vincent Avenue, Hacken sack) that started in 1966 with a soft opening. The first newspaper mentions are classified ads from January 1966. First, they were looking for a “sand wich lady,” likely to tend to the roast beef sandwiches the restaurant was later known for. The next ad was for a “porter for light kitchen work.” The applicants needed to be “sober and reliable.” The restaurant, which had a liquor li cense, got in trouble in 1970, when state inspectors found that a bottle of whis key and a bottle of gin did not contain the kind of liquor on the labels. In 1972, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office raided 10 locations that were suspected of running illegal gambling operations, and the Crow’s Nest was one of them. Several of the owners were arrested for “maintaining a gambling resort and conspiracy,” and they were indicted. In 1974, the Crow’s Nest applied for permits to enlarge the restaurant. Tak ing advantage of the new space, the res taurant began offering musical enter tainment. In 1990, comedy acts became part of the entertainment lineup. In 1991, the restaurant was sold to its final owners, Andreas and Angela Haji yerou, who ran the 400-seat restaurant and catering facility for 31 years. Look ing toward retirement, the couple sold

more time with his family” when it was discovered that after a number of proj ects were approved, he somehow always seemed to become the contractor. The diner, one of the first to popularize cir cular booths to seat more customers per table, was owned by the Yannit sadis brothers: Steven, Angelo and Gus. Although known as a popu lar place to eat, it is unfortunately also remembered for an FBI sting. In August 1973, John Connors made a deal to meet a man at the diner to buy 10 stolen color TVs for $1,000. However, he had second thoughts, went to the po lice, and the man with the TVs was ar rested. Also in 1973, Robert Sorge, for mer Mr. North America (body-building champion), was arrested at the diner as part of a case connected with an inves tigation of the former Bergen County prosecutor, who was on trial. A gun was allegedly found in Sorge’s possession. He was acquitted.

Most famous was the case where mob-linked developers, in 1974, planned to meet Fort Lee Mayor Burt Ross at the diner to give him a half-million-dollar bribe. Prior to the meeting, Ross had contacted the FBI. Ross wore a wire, and FBI agents went undercover as diner work ers and deliverymen. When the cash was handed over, the developers were arrested. The diner served its last meal in 2007. The owners had made arrangements for a Jeep dealership to open there, but the deal fell through because of tangled liti gation and the bad economy. The diner sat vacant for a decade and was torn down in July 2017. In 2018, an indoor sky-diving attraction called iFly opened on the site.

42 AUTUMN YEARS I FALL 2024