The Times' Allen Salkin reflects on his dealings with Rice To Riches owner/accused bookmaker Peter Moceo Jr. Seems that he really did love pudding. What he didn't like was questions about his background or associates. Reports Salkin,
But he had wanted to open a restaurant and was fascinated by design. So he and a silent partner opened a place called Balley-Hoo's in Smithtown, N.Y.
What was the silent partner's name?
"It was a guy I grew up with," Mr. Moceo said, no name forthcoming.
He said he sold out because Balley-Hoo's became more of a nightclub than a restaurant, not a business he wanted to be in. And after that?
"I went into business with a partner developing hotels in Florida," he said. What was that partner's name?
Silence.
Who are the investors in Rice to Riches?
Nothing.More good stuff inside, including Mr. Moceo's declaration that, despite his arrest, the emporium will stay open. After all, pudding sales were averaging $15,000 to $18,000 a week.
· Beyond the Pudding, a Mystery [NY Times]
· Rice To Riches Conspiracy Theories [Curbed]
· Rice To Riches: Not Just a Stomach-Churning Name [Curbed]