Scamfluencers Episode 193:
The Cipriani Family: Bribes and Bellinis
Release Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Scaachi Koul (“C”) & Sarah Hagi (“A”)
Podcast by: Wondery
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the dramatic saga of the Cipriani family—a legendary name in the world of high-end hospitality, whose glamorous, globetrotting restaurant empire has spanned nearly a century. The hosts unpack how the family rose from humble beginnings and created famed culinary institutions, but also how ambition, hubris, and a hunger for exclusivity led to scandals involving hostile takeovers, union-busting, mafia involvement, tax evasion, and brushes with ruin. Ultimately, “Bribes and Bellinis” examines the intersection of legacy, celebrity culture, and the corruption that festers behind a gilded brand.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Birth of a Hospitality Empire (06:16–15:55)
- Giuseppe Cipriani Sr. starts as a humble bartender and pastry chef in early 20th-century Venice.
- Learns hospitality from his mother and values making people happy.
- Legendary Moments:
- Founds Harry’s Bar in Venice with funds lent by American socialite Harry Pickering (10:18).
- Invents famed dishes such as beef carpaccio and the Bellini cocktail (11:39–12:41).
- Harry’s Bar becomes a haunt for artists like Hemingway and Capote (13:42).
- Quote:
“He falls in love with making people happy and seeing customers enjoy his work. It reminds him of the way his mother took care of their boarders in Germany.” – Scaachi (08:12)
2. Expansion and the American Dream (15:55–23:09)
- Arrigo Cipriani takes over Harry’s Bar and opens Hotel Cipriani, expanding the family brand.
- The Ciprianis’ arrival in New York:
- Arrigo and his son Giuseppe Jr. (“Junior”) manage Harry Cipriani at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel (1985).
- Their partnership with the Forte family sours after Arrigo opens a side restaurant, Bellini, leading to their ousting from Harry Cipriani (18:43–20:19).
- The Ciprianis attempt to regain relevance with new ventures, but face harsh backlash from the New York Times critic Brian Miller.
- Memorable Moment:
“Harry Cipriani has all the charm of a family restaurant in a shopping mall. ... One of the house specials should be served with a television set, for it is a dead ringer for a TV dinner.”
— Sarah, reading Brian Miller’s review (22:28)
3. Fame, Pettiness, and Power Plays (24:37–28:14)
- Junior becomes the face of the brand, chasing celebrity clientele and making the restaurants the go-to place for glitterati.
- The Ciprianis’ aggressive tactics and focus on image over substance sets the stage for high-stakes legal and PR struggles.
- The “name” becomes their main currency—often at the expense of the original ethos of hospitality.
- Quote:
“Our strength is our name. … If they want to grow, they need to start forcing people to play by their rules.” – Scaachi, summarizing Junior’s philosophy (24:50)
4. Scandal: Union-Busting & Mob Ties (28:14–37:10)
- Junior expands the empire (Cipriani Downtown, luxury hotels), makes a risky play buying 55 Wall Street.
- The Cipriani takeover of The Rainbow Room triggers labor disputes:
- Fires 250 union workers, sparks pickets and a city-wide labor war (29:24–33:52).
- Junior inks a controversial deal with a mob-linked Teamsters local in hopes of evading picketing.
- Celebrities boycott the restaurants, tarnishing the brand among its target clientele.
- Memorable Quote: “We’ll have a picket line in front of the Rainbow Room for 100 years if that’s what it takes.” – Peter Ward, Union Boss (32:16)
5. Legal Trouble: Tax Evasion & Bribery (37:10–43:55)
- After the mob scandal, a whistleblower accuses the Cipriani family of tax evasion.
- Charges: Hiding $3.5 million in state and city taxes over six years.
- Both Arrigo (now 75) and Junior are indicted in 2007, plead guilty, pay $10 million, but avoid jail. Their liquor licenses are controversially spared (39:39–40:47).
- Further scandal: The state liquor board attempts to revoke all licenses due to their felony status (42:22).
- Alleged political intervention by a top aide to Governor Patterson preserves their ability to operate after a hefty settlement.
- Eventually, they lose the lease on the Rainbow Room after failing to pay millions in rent (43:39).
6. Legacy, Decline, and Lessons (43:55–48:36)
- Despite the turmoil, the Cipriani brand remains a magnet for the global elite—exclusive clubs, luxury residences, and lively nightlife properties endure.
- Junior moves to Uruguay, increasingly focused on real estate for the super-rich, while Arrigo retires in Italy.
- Legacy continues with new openings, e.g., Casa Cipriani in NYC, frequented by Taylor Swift.
- The story ends reflecting on the corrosive effects of legacy obsession, the impossibility of running an "honest" high-end restaurant in New York, and the thin line between ambition and ethical compromise.
- Quote:
“Like many episodes and many stories, the fraud wasn’t really necessary. But they did it.” — Sarah (45:58)
“Our strength is our name.” — Scaachi (24:50)
7. Final Reflections (46:59–48:36)
- Hosts muse on generational wealth, expectations for second and third generation successors, and the futility of chasing prestige above all.
- Quote:
“The first generation builds, the second spends, and the third squanders it.” — Scaachi (47:35)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On the family name's power:
“If you open a restaurant and your entire legacy is hospitality and food … this is not it. It doesn’t have the charm. This sucks.” — Sarah, on NYT’s Brian Miller’s review (21:23) - On legacy and entitlement:
“It is that kind of old world mentality of importance and legacy and like this is all we have. All we have is our name. But … it’s business. It’s a cutthroat world.” — Sarah (47:48) - Parting joke:
“Sarah, I want you to know that I would always do fraud under your name. Proudly.” — Scaachi (48:04)
“I wouldn’t for you. Oh, necessarily…” — Sarah (48:09)
Notable Segment Timestamps
- Origin story – Giuseppe’s youth, Harry’s Bar, and culinary inventions:
06:16–13:42 - The American Expansion & New York drama:
15:55–23:09 - Hostile takeover at Harry Cipriani:
00:56–04:11, 18:43–20:19 - NY Times “brutal” reviews:
20:42–23:09 - Rise of Junior & focus on celebrity:
24:37–28:14 - Rainbow Room union busting & mob deals:
29:24–37:10 - Tax evasion criminal charges:
37:10–40:47 - Liquor license drama & political intrigue:
42:22–43:39 - Final legacy and reflections:
43:55–48:36
Tone & Delivery
- Fast-paced, peppered with dry wit and banter.
- Both hosts mix skepticism, fascination, and bemusement with the outlandishness of high-society drama.
- Occasional moments of empathy for employees and genuine awe at the family's culinary impact.
Useful Takeaways for Listeners
- The Cipriani story is emblematic of how dazzling hospitality brands can be built on personal charm and innovation, but also topple under the weight of greed and mismanagement.
- Celebrity clientele, exclusivity, and legacy are seductive—but often overshadow the hard realities of business, legal compliance, and ethical dilemmas.
- Even notorious scandals and criminal convictions can’t always kill a well-crafted name; in luxury hospitality, perception is everything.
- The episode stands as both a cautionary tale and a tribute to the impact of legacy—how it can elevate, and how it can also corrupt.
Sources cited include Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and Arrigo Cipriani’s memoir.
