Tony Bennett: New Yorkers remember singer’s passion for the arts, frequent order at Italian restaurant

NEW YORK (WPIX) – Tony Bennett sang about leaving his heart in San Francisco, but he never left New York City.

From Central Park to Ditmars Boulevard, people from New York are remembering the world-famous singer — and sharing stories.

Bennett grew up in Astoria, Queens. In more recent years, he lived in an apartment across from Central Park, but he and his family would often travel across the Queensboro Bridge to his old neighborhood.

In 2001, he and his wife helped start the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts in Astoria. He visited the school many times since.

“His face lit up and you could tell this was a passion project for him,” Gideon Frankel, the school’s principal, said.

One of Bennett’s favorite restaurants, Manducatis, in Long Island City, Queens, was also the “most authentic Italian restaurant in the U.S.,” as far as he was concerned.

“[He’d order] a little eggplant, a little bit of fettuccini, with fresh tomato and basil, and a little glass of wine,” said Manducatis owner Anthony Cerbone.

“I learned something from him. He told me once you have to learn to be calm,” Cerbone added.

Bennett and 2,000 people celebrated his 95th birthday in November 2016 at the St. George Theater on Staten Island. He had performed at the historic theater five times and always expressed appreciation and spoke of the design, said co-founders Luanne Sorrentino and Doreen Cugno.

“The champion of the American songbook is gone. He was just wonderful. He would let the audience know how they were fortunate to be in a world-class theater right in Staten Island. He would show off the acoustics of the theater by putting his microphone on the piano and singing a cappella, so that the last person in the last row can hear him, beautifully,” said Sorrentino.

At the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts, Principal Frankel has pictures in the office and a painting by Tony Bennett titled “Astoria Dreaming.” It features a person looking from Queens to the Manhattan skyline.

”Despite traveling the world, he would always come back home,” Frankel said.