It's been over a year since the backers of Leonardo at Pier 57 (above) beat out Roland Betts and the Chelsea Piers team for development rights at 15th Street and the Hudson, but now Giuseppe "I'm not in the Mafia" Cipriani is washing his hands of the deal, according to the Villager, which reports that the celeb-cozy restaurateur won't be setting up the city's largest banquet hall on the dock there (former site of "Little Gitmo on the Hudson" during RNC 2004). Cipriani's developer buddy, Steven Witkoff, might still go-ahead with the catering space plan either with his own group or another partner. Either way, the project that Cipriani once billed as the anti-Little Italy won't be showing up for dinner any time soon: "the pier might not be redeveloped until three to four years from now." You know what they say about Rome; fake Rome's no different.
· Cipriani says arrivederci to Pier 57 Leonardo plan [Villager]
· Leonardo at Pier 57: Center for Cultural Creativity [leonardoatpier57.com]
· Pier 57 Update: Little Italy on the Hudson A-Go-Go! [Curbed]
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