Salvatore Bozi, an Italian mobster convicted of murder, drug smuggling and bribery, opened a hamburger restaurant in the suburbs of Rome last week - and the worlds of crime and culinary are buzzing.
Bozi, 65, claims he got the idea to open the restaurant while sitting in jail for nine years (and could be sent to many more years behind bars, depending on further legal developments).
But as if to do it for the rule of law, the intimidating personality does not try to stay away from crime life and its dubious past, but rather the opposite: the restaurant, called BURGR, is designed in a somewhat mobster spirit, and its menu includes dishes named after crime series and infamous criminals, for example, pizza. Gomora "is a tribute to the well-known series that takes place on the streets of Naples, while the" Jenny "salad is dedicated to the hero of the same series (and the book on which it is based).
There’s also a sandwich that pays dubious respect to the “Sobora” series (inspired by the real case that sent Boozie to jail), and anyone who wants to take a bite out of the real thing is welcome to drop by for an authentic “Boozie Burger”.
Salvatore Boozie in the restaurant he opened, Photo: EPA
Boozie claims no one will eat for free at his restaurant - not even acquaintances, friends or even family members, but "cops and judges will pay two and three times as much," he said.
While it is too early to determine whether the business will take off and innocent diners will be brave enough to enter the venue, it should be noted that not everyone is happy with Mr. Salvatore's forehead daring.
"The fact that such a thing is happening in our country at all is very worrying," declared Luigi Ciuti, a priest who heads Libera, a body that opposes organized crime in Italy.
"Instead of eradicating evil, normalize it and link it to consumer products like food."
Either way, will BURGR be a place you put on your sights on your next visit to Rome?
