El Primo Mambo Italiano

The best version, in my opinion, is from "The Big Night"
Wouldn't it be something to do a giant Mambo Italiano around the whole square block of Knickerbocker?

Big Night is a 1996 American motion picture drama with comedic overtones directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci. Produced by Jonathan Filley for the Samuel Goldwyn Company, the film met with much critical acclaim both in the United States and internationally. It was nominated for the "Grand Jury Prize" at the Sundance Film Festival and the "Grand Special Prize" at the Deauville Film Festival.

For their work, Scott and Tucci won both the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for "Best New Director."

The film, set in the 1950s, tells the story of two immigrant brothers from Italy who own and operate a restaurant called "Paradise". One brother, Primo (Tony Shalhoub), is a brilliant, perfectionist chef who chafes under their few customers' expectations of "traditional" Italian food. Their uncle's offer to return to Rome to help with his restaurant is becoming more and more appealing to Primo. The other brother, Secondo (Tucci), is the restaurant's manager, who is enamored with the possibilities presented by their new endeavor and life in America. Despite Secondo's efforts and Primo's magnificent food, their restaurant is failing; unless something can turn business around for them, it will soon close forever.

Secondo is unable to commit to his girlfriend Phyllis (Minnie Driver) as he has recently been sleeping with Gabriella (Isabella Rossellini), the wife of a competitor. Her husband's self-named restaurant, Pascal's (Ian Holm), has enjoyed great success despite (or perhaps due to) the mediocre, uninspired food served there. Desperate to keep Paradise afloat, Secondo asks Pascal for a loan. In an apparent display of generosity, Pascal instead insists that he will persuade Louis Prima to dine at Paradise when he comes to town; the celebrity's patronage should revitalize the brothers' business. Primo and Secondo plunge themselves into preparations for this "big night", inviting dozens of people to dine for free and spending what little they still have on planning a magnificent, extraordinary feast. Primo pours his heart into each dish, lavishing care and attention on the cooking.

As they wait for Prima and his entourage to arrive, the crowd indulges in the exquisite food and partakes in a fabulous celebration, culminating in a lavishly prepared timpano.