Alessandro Uzielli La Dolce Vita Restaurant Beverly Hills. Photograph by Jonathan Becker. Advertisement Continue Reading Below. Ten years ago Alessandro Uzielli and his friend Ben Myron walked into La Dolce Vita, on Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, for a drink. Jimmy Ullo and George Smith, two waiters from the Villa Capri, had opened the stucco walled, windowless Italian restaurant back in 1. Everything You Need to Know Before Reading Rich People Problems. The final chapter of Kevin Kwans trilogy comes out May 23. Exceedingly private, and bankrolled in part by Frank Sinatra and movie heavy George Raft, the restaurant became a Hollywood hot spot, serving classic Italian food to not only the Rat Pack but every living president. Yet on this evening and quite a few before it, the restaurant was empty. Not only were there no people, there was no staff, Uzielli recalls. Eventually a busboy came out, and we asked him what was going on. He told us it was closing night. Ullo and Smith had sold the restaurant in 2. The Search For The Truth is a Christian mystery game set at a camp. Its a Christian game with Bible mentions perfect thats for Church groups youth groups. Ruben Castro, had taken to looking at the next nights reservation list so he could go to the farmers market to buy ingredients specifically for those customers. Here was a piece of real Hollywood history that was at risk of going away forever. It was criminal, Uzielli says. The next day he and Myron put in an offer for La Dolce Vita, and their bid was accepted. The idea of owning a restaurant is a flight of fancy for most, but for Uzielli, a purveyor of nostalgia and a self confessed Sinatraphile, it may well have been the last jigsaw piece to fall into place. A descendant of Henry Ford, Al, as he is known, is the head of Ford Global Brand Entertainment. The son of Anne Ford and Giancarlo Gianni Uzielli, Al grew up on Manhattans Upper East Side, attending St. Bernards School and Brooks, a boarding school in North Andover, Massachusetts. But after graduating from Boston Universitys College of Communication, in 1. Uzielli had no intention of entering the family business. Instead he moved to California to pursue film production, receiving his masters degree from the American Film Institute. Among his film credits is Bongwater, a quirky indie hit about Portlands drug culture in the 1. Whole Eleanor`S Secret Movie Online ' title='Whole Eleanor`S Secret Movie Online ' />Luke Wilson, Jack Black, Andy Dick, and the late Brittany Murphy. It was a great cast of first timers who were all on the brink of becoming much bigger, Uzielli begins. But when it came time to sell it, I got a real taste of what the business was like. I realized it wasnt nearly as romantic as I thought. Advertisement Continue Reading Belowembedgallery gid1. While wrapping Bongwater, Uzielli met Los Angeles native Kimm Rooney at the Church of the Good Shepherd. I looked up from the pew and there was Al, walking down the aisle, she says. The couple would marry at the same church in December 2. Today they live in the heart of the Beverly Hills flats with their two daughters, Eleanor, 1. Olivia, 8, in a Federal style house built in 1. Northeast Corridor, with a rose garden in front of its slender columned facade. The back yard is a haven for family life, with a hammock, a trampoline, and a tree house on a recent evening the Uziellis hosted a fundraiser there for the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, with some 7. Model Ts chitty chitty banged their way up to the front yard. Inside the house Uziellis photography collection covers the walls from ceiling to floor. What I didnt find in the film business, I found in the art world, he says. The Los Angeles galleries are so accessible, and the people are so nice. Peter Fetterman would pull out portfolios of images and sit with me and look at them for hours on the floor without ever making a sale. Fetterman, a dealer in Santa Monica whose gallery specializes in 2. Slim Aaronss most celebrated work, Kings of Hollywood, for the bar at La Dolce Vita, and on occasion Uzielli will joke with an unfamiliar customer that the photograph was taken there. Advertisement Continue Reading Below. The house was decorated by Kimms former schoolmate and longtime friend Mary Mc. Whole Eleanor`S Secret Movie Online ' title='Whole Eleanor`S Secret Movie Online ' />Donald. Classically and comfortably appointed, the interior is fitted for a modern family. The black and white living room has a grand piano that displays pictures in silver frames. Olivia and Eleanors bedroom is a veritable schoolhouse of American Girl dolls. And on a table in the corner of the cozy little red library is a grouping of enamel Christmas boxes from Halcyon Days inscribed with memories from each passing year a physical representation of another serendipitous opportunity for Uzielli and one equally infused with a certain amount of nostalgia. Disenchanted with the film business in the late 1. Uzielli took Kimm then his fiance on a trip to Italy. My uncle Phil invited Kimm and me to dinner at Villa dEste. He had always supported my dream of being a filmmaker, and now that I had moved on and was looking for something else to do, we talked about getting into business together, Uzielli says. Philip Uzielli had been keeping his eye on a family business in London owned by a woman named Susan Benjamin, who was looking to retire but would sell her business only to another family. Benjamin had served in the Womens Auxiliary Air Force during World War II, driving an ambulance and working in photographic intelligence. She led this incredibly romantic life, Uzielli says. In 1. 95. 0 she opened her shop, Halcyon Days, on Avery Row in Mayfair, selling antiques and objects of her own design. Initially featuring such items as a gilt handled feather duster with mink tails, the shop was an instant success in the austerity of postwar London. In 1. 96. 8 Benjamin revived the tradition of the enamel box for which the company is famous today. Advertisement Continue Reading Below. A month after his wedding to Kimm, Uzielli flew to London to meet his uncle and buy the company. That August, Philip suffered a massive heart attack and died at his home in Florence. Halcyon Days was supposed to be an opportunity for me to work with my uncle Phil, who was like a second dad to me, Uzielli says. After September 1. I found myself with a business on the other side of the world. Now, more than a decade later, Halcyon Days boxes are still seen on well appointed vanities, and the company retains all three of its royal warrants. In a lot of ways it has been a similar struggle with La Dolce Vita. Here are these two great historic brands with a heritage like none other that were on the brink of disappearing. La Dolce Vitas history, peppered with legendary figures, is perhaps best told by former matre d Castro, who recently retired after 4. Frank Sinatra was the greatest guy, he begins, recounting the story of how Sinatra protected La Dolce Vita from a rogue gunman. He goes on to tell how George Raft gave him a 1. Cadillac Coupe de. Ville. One night Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, and Anthony Quinn were having dinner, Castro recalls. Peck was having the linguini with white clam sauce and got some oil on his tie. He called me over and said, Hey, Ruben, do you have something to get this spot outMy wife, shes going to be so mad at me I said, Sure, and took it over to my drawer, got some scissors, and cut the tie. He got so upset. Then the guys started laughing, so I got away with that one. It was a lot of fun back then. People were really classy. On another evening Castro was pulling back the table for President Reagan, then in office, so he could get up after dinner. He farted, and I said, Salute, Seor Presidente He laughed like no tomorrow. Advertisement Continue Reading Below. La Dolce Vitas best customers have been memorialized with brass plaques over their favored booths. When Reagan was governor, and after he was president, he sat at Table 1. Uzielli says. The Reagan Booth is marked there. But when he was president, he and his Kitchen Cabinet sat at Table 1. Table 1. 1 is known as the hot tub table for its high banquet walls. Similarly, the Sinatra Booth, Table 1. Paramounts Brad Grey, is where the singer would entertain. Christian mystery party game perfect for Church youth groups. A great Bible Christian game. A mystery game perfect for Church youth groups A group is attending a Christian camp. They find that they are not only on a search for their own personal truth, but also the truth in relation to a crime they didnt think could ever happen the poisoning of camp leader, Peter Stein. Reading level 6. This mystery was written with the assistance of a youth pastor in the US and was loosely based on real teenagers. There are some references to Biblical stories. However, all our kits are great for Church fund raisers and youth camps. This kit can also be enjoyed by non Christians. Biblical stories referred to in the mystery. Abel was killed by Cain because Cain didnt value Gods love. This story is covered in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. The handwriting on the wall is mentioned in The Book of Daniel in the Bible. King Belshazzar and his guests didnt know what it meant. Only Daniel could read the writing. It told that they would be punished because they were drinking from golden cups stolen from the temple. The burning bush is mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. This is when God captured Moses attention by presenting him with a burning bush. It was then that God spoke to him. Versions and samples More details See the sections below for more details Overview. A large group is attending a Christian camp. The theme for the weekend is to find the truth. As the weekend progresses the participants find that they are not only on a search for their own personal truth, but also the truth in relation to a crime they didnt think could ever happen the poisoning of camp leader, Peter Stein. But it is obvious that there was no intention to kill Peter, only to make him sick. Peter is a hard working 5. He is a Vietnam vet and retired Lt. Col. in the US Army. His favorite food is Haggen Daaz ice cream and he never turns down dessert. He has a wife who is helping run the camp, two grown children and four grandchildren. He is a counselor for the police department. He has a Masters in counseling, although some people found his counseling style a bit dictatorial. Excerpt. Langley Some people have been giving Peter the cold shoulder on this camp. Actually its been more like. What theyve said. Teri Woods, USATeri Woods, a youth pastor in the US had another pastor pretend he really had died and they had a friend who is a Police Officer come to investigate the murder just to add a touch of reality. They were at a camp retreat at the time next to other people in cabins that were not part of their group. Stephanie,Sorry for taking so long to let you know how the party went but when I got back the whole Easter thing was thrown my way. I have been a busy little bee. So, they LOVED it A few funny things happened that I thought you would like to know. First, one of the kids had his cell phone with him and tried to call the police to report that someone was dead. Luckily, I was right next to him and looked him directly in the eye and said, Whatever you do, dont use your phone right now. Just trust me on this. I think he got the jest of what was up. Next, the people in the cabin next to the murder packed up all their stuff and were ready to leave. They really thought there had just been a murder and an arrest and they had decided they didnt want to stick around. I hadnt even given a thought to the people around us We had to explain it to them. They thought it was a great idea and the young lady with them was going to have a talk with her youth director about it. One of the girls there, as soon as she saw the police man in uniform, started in with comments like, Hes not a real pig. I know bacon when I smell it. Hes just a faker. Did I mention we have a few street tough kids in our youth group Anyway, the police officer laughed and we had a hard time convincing her that this man in the uniform with the gun and the cop car was a real cop. When he came over to me I asked him if he wanted to arrest her and he said, Can II think I told you we were going to plant evidence and let the kids find it. Well, when we gave them evidence markers and told them to look for clues they went outside and started marking everything from gum wrappers to broken potatoe chips they found. We finally had to tell them to hold off until they saw something they KNEW was a clue. Throughout Saturday we planted the clues. They did get the idea and started to keep a look out, not ever knowing when something would show up. My own group, believe it or not, wanted to arrest me. Since our worship leader had quit and I took over her job, they thought perhaps I wanted to run the whole church and take over the other pastors job too. I told them it was a possibility but if they thought I really wanted that much responsibility they were crazy Anyway, it went so very well. Thank you for everything you did. It is a weekend these kids will not soon forget In Him Always,TeriPastor Bob, USAThanks for the Search for Truth murder mystery. We ran it last week with our youth group. We had 3. 5 youth participate we had to double up on a couple of parts and everyone had a great time. The accusations still continue even after they know the solution. Thanks. Carol Ferdinand, USAStephanie,I just had to write, and tell you of the wonderful response The Search for the Truth had with my church youth group. Given recent events, I was unsure how a murder mystery would go over. Fortunately, everything went well, and all present had a wonderful time. Our production took place on Saturday, September 2. The hall was decorated with red and white checkered table cloths, and mason jars acted as simple vases. The program was advertised as an audience participation Mystery Dinner Show, and the players had been given acts one and two, along with their character sheets, approximately 2 months in advance. Act 3 was kept secret because I didnt want them figuring it out. Tickets were sold for 1. The dinner consisted of a salad, spaghetti wroll, and dessert. We tried to keep our costs low, since the goal of the program was to raise funds for our youth group. Unfortunately, several of our youth backed out at the last minute, and adults were called upon to fill some of the teenage roles. They were great Detective Sam Cummings was turned into Samantha Cummings, and my only regret is that no one took a picture She was a cross between Columbo and Mimi from Drew Carey. Everyone arrived to the hall to decorate and prepare the meal, in character. They were so into it, that they would not respond unless called by their character name. This was quite annoying at times, but I created the monsters so I couldnt complain. We had approximately 3. The characters greeted them, and served them throughout the night. In addition, 1. 3 audience members were called upon to read clues. Download Whole R`Ha Movie. After Act 3, everyone was given a card to write their name, and guess Who Done It Five audience members guessed correctly, and received a CD holder in the design of a basketball. I was so into the show, that I forgot my video camera was ready and waiting in the next room. Therefore, I did not get any pictures the entire night. The Search for the Truth was a huge success, and the kids and audience are looking forward to our next production. I am sure that I will be contacting you soon to get another mystery. They are fun and simple to do, and fairly low cost. Sincerely,Carol Ferdinand. Very Satisfied Customer. Brownstown, Michigan USAEmma Keirle, Guernsey, Channel IslandsOver the last few years we have done several of your murder mysteries and we have just finished the Search for the Truth Christian camp murder which was amazing and the 1. I normally do these with our church youth group and they are very suitable, for which I am grateful Thank you again for providing a wonderful resource.