Fits and Starts

Log Item: I was under the weather for a few days and that led to a fall-behind and accumulated work that I had to see to. Mia culpa.

Tire Repair by the numbers:

Pull the pin

The fancy star socket

Breaker bar

And that's as far as I got because I had to stand on the brake while pushing the breaker-bar and it didn't budge. Archimedes 101 "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." I need to buy a strong 7/8" diameter (1/2" hole) piece of DOM to extend the length of the 18 inch breaker bar to kick the "Jesus nut" that holds the wheel on off the axel. I have a place to go to buy one, but ran out of daylight today mainly because of phone calls, arranging tomorrow's schedule now that I'm "healthy".

The drama continues.

Limping Devil

Log Item: All suited up and ready to roll, I walked out to the garage and noticed that the Diavel's rear tire was flat. Not a tragedy, a flat tire. My plans for the day were shot.

I hadn't given much thought to changing the rear tire, and the owner's manual that Ducati provides gives no hints on the matter...neither does YouTube. Closer inspection revealed that I will need a special socket to pull the rear tire. Are they available -- anywhere? Apparently not. Ducati is reluctant to sell them. They would prefer that I have a flat bed tow truck haul my bike twenty miles to the dealership so that they can do it for me.

While I understand rice bowls and their interest in protecting Ducati's, this one is ridiculous. 

For the record, I understand that the actual removal of the tire so that it can be patched involves quite a process. I don't plan to do that at home, but simply throwing the bad tire (mounted) in the back of my truck and driving it to the dealer is much easier than flat-bedding it to their shop.

At the moment, I'm frustrated, and will be casting about on the internet for the proper "star socket" so that I can pull the tire.

Bike Wash Photos

Log Item: There was a carnival atmosphere today at the Ducati dealership in Brea, CA, and the Foothill Ducati Owner's Club was there to participate in the bacchanalian atmosphere of free food, horsepower on two wheels and women washing bikes for fun and profit.

The Foothill Ducati Club is officially sanctioned by Ducati (Italy) and has about 55 members based on the latest count. Of the 55, three have Diavels, and mine is the only Devil which is completely flat black.

If you want suds, they give you suds. If you want to pitch in and help the young ladies wash your Ducati, they don't mind.

Getting wet is half the fun, and when the guys get a bit dirty, the solution is to wash them too. You'll notice from the audience in the background, that the bike owners present were almost universally male. 

Breakfast on Bikes

Log Item: The Harley types do this (I guess), but we've got a Ducati breakfast bunch thing that is starting. Guys who drive Ducatis on the weekend sort of fell into eating at the same joint because it offers a chance for us to compare, and contrast machines before joining the human race. 

Yes, it's a bit of an 'old bull elephant' get together since it's a weekend thing that we do before we conform back into pleasing people other than ourselves, but it's fun. 

It really doesn't matter where you work. If you ride the same machine, there is something to talk about. 

Log Item: Ducati is launching its new bikes. Never fear, I'm locked at the hip to the Devil/Diavel. But this is the shape of things to come.

Ducati Viper Concept

Four Cylinder Ducati Panigale scheduled for 2017

Muffler Dragging Ducati

Ducati Streetfighter

I thought of taking photos of the Foothill Ducati Club meet/greet tonight, but it took place at an outside patio on a restaurant at night and the bikes weren't parked in the light. Suffice to say there were about twenty people with the age demographic surprisingly between 35 and 55, so I didn't stand out as old. The weather was too warm for leathers and nobody wore them, which speaks to age and wisdom trumping the need to look "cool". It's a sanctioned Ducati Factory Club. I'm not sure precisely what that means except that I'll get free Ducati swag for joining.

There were Streetfighters (848cc), vintage Ducati 1000's and even a couple of unlicensed (street illegal) track bikes showed up. There are three Diavel owners in the group. Mine is the only totally flat black Ducati Diavel.  There was interest on the part of a few people in buying a Diavel for themselves and they checked out what I did. All of them wanted to ride two-up (with a passenger) and the Diavel lends itself to that better than the other Ducatis.

After dinner a few people broke off into smaller run groups. There is a limited amount of muffler dragging that can be done at night without coming to a bad end quickly.

Grand Prix 2016

I am not a club joining kind of guy, but I did join the Foothill Ducati Owner's Group.

I've been riding but not doing much with this blog because -- I've been riding. 

The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas is coming up in Austin, TX April 2016 and the club is going. Since I have to be in Dallas the last week of March, I may stay on for the race because Ducati has a big showing there and I was invited due to my membership in the Ducati-sanctioned club. I'm trying to balance the benefit of buying a Ducati ticket (which entitles you to "free" swag, etc.) with just showing up. Nothing about Ducati is free or even cheap.

There are not a lot of women who ride Ducatis - it's a sausage fest. Thus the Ducati clubs are made up of mainly smaller guys who like to wear leather. I don't like to wear leather all that much, and clearly, not when it's hot. These guys LIKE leather at any temperature. Yeah. We will see how long the membership lasts. I'm going to my first meeting this coming week and will report.

Surfin Devil

Log Item: I sat at my desk and needed to do some work but the cobwebs kept me from being creatively brilliant (which is why they pay me). Solution: Road Trip! More particularly, a run along the coast between Newport Beach and Long Beach. The weather was perfect, the traffic was light and the breeze refreshed.

Along the way I decided that I needed a shave and a haircut.  There is a barber who has an open-air shop right above the surf line and offers a straight-edge razor cut, which is to my preference. There is nothing better than a full service hair cut in Korea. However one must make do with what is available and this is not bad. Chair massage, shampoo, haircut, hot towel, soap up, shave, followed by a walk to a joint that serves killer tacos. 

While I ate tacos and drank a Diet Coke, some of the locals hung around the Diavel, which is not uncommon. I'm more accustomed to it now than I was when I bought it. The front brakes seemed to be one of the points of focus.

Now, I'm back at my desk, ready to apply the genius unleashed by the Devil...and the surf.

Mex Challenge

Log Item: Finding the best Mexican Dive in the area (naturally, while riding the Diavel)

For the past week, I've been making jaunts here and there looking for the sort of quality dive bar that one would typically find in Sinaloa (yes, where all the drugs come from). Roadside dives in Los Mochis are typically outstanding because the drug kingpins eat there and if the food sucks, the restaurant changes hands. That Darwinian delineator is not present in SoCal (to the same extent). 

There's a lot of Michoacan style food around here, also coming from an area dominated by a narco economy. It's not up to Sinaloa in my eyes, but its good.

Here is my rating scale:

Cook

3 pts- If the cook is a grandma and is making tortillas by hand. If that's the case, everything will be made by hand and the tamales will only be served at holiday time or if one of the people who goes to the restaurant has a child that turned one.

2 pts- If the cook speaks no English. 

1 pts- If the cook is fat.

Waitress

3 pts- If the waitress is from Mexico and speaks no English

3 pts- If the waitress is willing to flirt (for a tip) with an old white man riding an Italian muscle scooter.

-1 pts- If the waitress is white and only speaks English.

-2 pts- If the waitress is fat and slow.

Food

4 pts- A drug kingpin would eat there daily.

3 pts- Food is freshly made from scratch including fresh chips (from freshly made tortillas) and salsa verde.

2 pts- Food is not Americanized

1 pts- Food is properly spiced.

When I drive by the targeted Mexican Dive, there need to be cars present. Beaters preferred. I will still eat there if there are white people eating at the dive, but if my order is taken in English, it's off-putting. Sometimes staff will make a mistake and think that I'm a white guy. 

A lot of Mexicans in SoCal were born here and fear to travel south to Mexico. They pretend to be Mexicans but are really pocho boys. Thus their presence at a dive bar doesn't guarantee authenticity. In fact, their standards of excellence usually suck because they don't go down to Sinaloa or Michoacan. Even the local drug dealers who were born here don't spend enough time in the old country eating good ethnic to know good flan from bad flan.

So far, my SoCal survey is disappointingly low scoring. 

Roadside Mexican food (as stated above) in Sinaloa is excellent. There is always a grandma or two making tortillas fresh and the BBQ is from an animal that you can see turning on the spit. You don't find that here. The people who take your order are impeccably scrubbed and are absolutely polite. The polite factor is almost always lacking in the USA.

Dive bars in Sinaloa or Michoacan always have waitresses that flirt with you in Spanish (partly because they're also whores and want to increase the tip).  They are always pretty. 

I used to ride my Harley Davidson down to Ensenada for the day. I haven't done that with the Diavel yet, and am not inclined to do that just because times have changed since the early 90's.

Hail the Diavel

Log Item: So there I was this morning, out for a romp. High humidity today - 92%, which is unusual for SoCal, but moderate temps of 80. 

Tooling along at somewhere around 85, I noticed cars up ahead slowing and a lot of dust on the ground. I couldn't figure it out. Until I hit the hail. It was roughly dime sized but when you're going 85, it's like getting hit with a shotgun blast --- all over your body. It didn't last more than a quarter mile but it definitely got my attention. There was rain intermittently throughout the morning run and, yes it soaked me. That's nothing compared to the hail.

All in all, a nice enough ride, though I cut it short because of rain sheeting down over the highway I planned to transit. I turned around and headed home. I'll wipe down the Diavel later.

Cook's Corner Bar

Log Item: Cook's Corner Bar was constructed in 1884, which may make it one of the oldest bars in Orange County. It clearly pre-dates motorcycles. It's the best known motorcycle bar in Orange County. Depending on when you go, there will be various and sundry gucci bikers (accountants and lawyers on expensive dressed Harley Davidsons) and there may also be gang bikers on rat bikes. 

I first went to Cook's Corner when I rode with the Hessians Motorcycle Club (gang) in the early 1990's after I returned from the First Gulf War. The Hessians showed up every Wednesday for dollar beer, free spaghetti and a wet t-shirt contest. The first time I was there, I was selected to judge the wet t-shirt contest. Which only goes to show that the management of Cook's Corner Bar have excellent taste in judges.

Today I made the jaunt there for lunch and to check the place out.  There is almost something "wrong" with going to Cook's on a Ducati. I can't define it more closely than that. The staff served me despite the fact that I had a full face helmet and rode a Ducati Diavel, which shows that they're open minded. Unlike homosexuals, I don't think that they have to sell to people who ride Italian bikes. We should be a protected class that gets free cheese and Obamaphones, but we're not.

The Devil, parked at Cook's Corner

I ate my hamburger (5 on a 10 scale) there on the patio. After lunch, I made a detour down Silverado Canyon Road - through the old mining town of Silverado. Even though people relate Orange County, California to Disneyland, Angel Stadium and the beach cities, there is an interesting history behind the rivers that were mined for silver and some hard rock mines as well. 

Such is the nature of Silverado, a town that winds with the river for about five miles. It's a narrow canyon road with homes on each side and one small market, now out of businesses and in disrepair. There is a cafe, which I stopped at some time ago. When I drove by it today there was one Harley Davidson motorcycle parked there with a dirtbag biker sitting on the porch.

The town was established in 1878, just a few years before Cook's Corner Bar (about five miles away as the buzzard flies) was built. Remnants of mining operations such as the Blue Light Mine are still scattered in the area. Timber was harvested for use by the railroad. Coal was mined near by. Ancient sea life fossils can be found within the sandstone cliffs in the area. During Spanish rule, the canyon was visited by Spanish explorers and was known by the name Cañada de la Madera (Timber Canyon). The needs of the mines took all of the old growth timber. Eventually Silverado Canyon Road turns from a two lane paved road into a Forrest Service dirt road. If I wanted to take the dirt road into the Cleveland National Forrest, the roads would dump me out next to where I live.  I opted to stay on hardball. 

Diavel Gender

Log Item: Early July - I haven't been logging a lot of miles. Most of my Ducati riding has been local and spontaneous. I want to pop out to dinner or need a morning run to clear my head, I shift some gears and let the engine roar. By the way, I've decided that my Ducati is female:

• Since I am certain that the devil is a woman and my Diavel is called 'the devil', it was my first hint.

• The motorcycle wants to be pampered. It want's the chain cleaned, it wants custom paint, it want to be dusted off. You get it.

•  If I park it, men gather round it and look at it.

• Women are expensive, as was the Diavel.

• There is a class of driving that the Diavel just seems to enjoy more. The secret is finding out how that works and the bike is never going to tell you what gets it going.

 Log Item: I'm not much of a club guy and I don't know if this will work or not, but I found a bunch of Ducati riders locally. It might be worth a shot. I don't know that I meet the standard demographic for a Ducati rider/owner in Southern California, but it might be fun to touch base. I don't expect women to belong to the riding club. Ducatis are jealous and the group is bound to be a sausage fest.

P. S. I was accepted into the group.

This is a gathering place for all Ducati enthusiasts from the Foothills of San Gabriel Valley to the Inland Empire. Our mission is to learn, educate and ride our Ducati with fellow Ducatistas. Events will consists of bi-weekly meets, group rides, BBQs, MotoGP viewing parties and tech days. Please stay tuned for updates and events as we are still in our infancy state.

Stealth or Color?

Log Item: I've been giving some thought to doing a custom paint job on the bike, but it's difficult to improve on flat black. There is something about a stealth bike that defies color. A Confederate flag paint scheme appeals to me, but there are a lot of people out there these days who are dissatisfied with the War of Northern Aggression and might feel justified in keying my bike if I took that step.

You see Harley Davidsons with the Confederate Battle Flag painted on them all the time, but not Ducatis. I don't know if there is a mindset that I'm missing here?

Since I am not from the Southern US, there is really no need to put a Confederate flag on my motorcycle except to screw with "progressives" who either take exception or would rather forget the War of the Rebellion.

I have also thought of decorating the tank with a tasteful bronze lion rampant, or perhaps an eagle, but no matter what I come up with, I hate to mar the flat black perfection.

Tools

Log Item: I now have a Kydex sheath for my kukri, and it's looped to hold the knife parallel to my belt. Thus, I can ride and it rests above the back seat comfortably. When I get off the bike, the kukri gets off the bike too. Yes, it's a left hand draw set-up (left hand, knuckles in, lift the blade) because the handgun gets the strong-hand.

I ordered the sheath from friends in Katmandu, Nepal, and they made it specially for my application. In the top photo, you see the Kydex sheath and the three chirra kukri. (11 inch high carbon steel blade, 18 inches overall length, blade width at the top of the fuller is 3/16 inch)

In the photo below, you will note that the knife is being drawn from the sheath. The top breaks open as you draw the knife to allow for a very clean draw forward or upward. Getting it right with the Nepalese was important, because a standard kukri sheath holds the knife far more loosely to allow the angle to clear the top of the sheath.

It's a good motorcycle knife for benign carry in an increasingly hostile and angry world. If people get too upset over the knife, I'll convert and become a Sikh (thus an oppressed minority). Sikhs are allowed to carry knives as part of their faith - even in Canada. Could I fit a turban under my motorcycle helmet? I'd rather not try. The Canadians will allow Sikhs to wear knives but refuse to allow them to wear turbans in lieu of a motorcycle helmet. Then again, I'm not in Canada.

Running GMR

Vintage Ducati (with real Italians)

Log Item: It's summer and I just got back from another run on the scooter. This was a short one with the goal of taking some sharp turns on a winding road not far from home, but there was a lot of traffic and I ended up being jammed into it with a double yellow line and no practical way out. I've been back to  Palomar Mountain Road. Another guy did a YouTube Video of the run on a Diavel with the inevitable crash along the way. There are a lot of squids (new riders) on the road who over-drive their bikes. I didn't take photos on this run mainly because I was by myself. Will snap a few for the blog on the next run. I've also done San Gabriel Canyon Road (Azuza Canyon) and the GMR (Glendora Mountain Road), which are SoCal landmarks for guys who want to take their bikes out and run some curves.

I'm becoming a lot more comfortable on the bike as I ride it on some challenging street routes. It's not a classic sport bike (heavier, higher center of gravity) but it keeps up for the most part with the boys on their cafe racers.

Log Item: Service recommendations call for checking the clutch throwout bearing every 5,000 miles or 6 months.  I decided to jump the gun because I had time on my hands and it was early morning and cool. I removed the pressure plate (and the 6 screws and springs holding it on) and felt the bearing for smooth operation. All good. Then again, the bike is nearly new.

While I was into it, I cleaned the end of the pushrod and the cup that it rests in. (Neglecting to do this can lead to damage to your clutch slave cylinder). I blew out the clutch with CO2 (compressed air works but I only have CO2 at the house - used for off-road operation of air tools and for airing up tires) to get all the dust out. I retorqued my clutch screws to 8 ft-lbs and - mischief managed.

Old School

Log Item: I just recently read that factory suggested top end speed for carrying a passenger on the back of a Diavel is 180 km/h (112 mp/h). I haven't been that fast with a passenger on, but I wonder why they put that suggested limit on it.  At 95 mp/h, carrying a passenger, the scooter, which just shifted into 6th gear, pulls about 5K RPM and the red line is at 12K...

I don't think that many Diavel drivers ride two-up. But I find the suggested limit just a bit anemic.






Log Item: Insomnia - I went out for a midnight ride because the world looks and smells different at night. There is a lot of night blooming jasmine where I live and it imparts an exotic smell. The same is true for eucalyptus trees and a number of other plants that spread their pheromones after sunset.

When you do that, you need to wear clear glasses and let the lift the helmet  visor all the way up so that you can take in everything. There are the sprinklers renewing lawns, the sweeper vehicles working on strip mall pavement, and the night sky. The wonder of the night sky. The distinctive sound of the engine's purr.

I bought my first motorcycle when I was fifteen years old and there are a number of things that hooked me on bikes. If you've never ridden, you'll never understand. There is a sense of freedom  and a swell of euphoria that accompanies a ride. For me, the intoxication of a night ride is always more profound.

When I came back from the ride and tumbled into bed, I slept like a baby.

Battery Maintenance

Not my hand
I was too lazy to go out to the bike, pop the
seat and take a photo, so I found one on the
Internet. Such is the nature of the world.

Log Item: I ride the Diavel enough that keeping the battery charged and cycled is not an issue, but it's never a bad idea to have a trickle charger on the acid box. Ducati was kind enough to build a connection into the motorcycle where you can just plug in. (see photo, right)

And if that was all that there was to it, I would be happy. But I'm not, because Ducati charges $250 + tax (and in California, it feels like another $250 for tax) for a trickle charger that should cost far less.

Thus the search began for a trickle charger that would be compatible with the Ducati system and power interface.

My first stop was Revzilla, since everything is on-line. I e-mailed them and asked them to do the research for me and let me know what is best for my purposes.

They recommended the "Battery Tender Junior HE", available from them for $36.00, and they offered free shipping.

The Battery Tender Junior High Efficiency is much more than a trickle charger. It has a brain. It's lightweight, compact, and fully automatic; very easy to use, especially in small spaces. It will keep your battery fully charged so that it is ready to go when you are. I think that I will go with the $36.00 solution.

Log Item: I've been riding the Diavel, but as temperatures top 95+, it's simply easier to step into the Raptor (air conditioned seats) and roll that way. The bike is designed to handle the heat and you know that it's getting hot when the fan on the oil cooler kicks in.  There is a sweet spot for riding bikes - somewhere between 60 and 90.  I rode over Hwy 241 today and it was 102. I opened the face of the helmet to get more air blowing into the brain bucket. A friend told me that it was 122 in Yuma, which is par for the summer there. No, I have no plans to ride to Yuma in the summer - not even at night when the temps drop to 110.

Then and Now

Straw Poll: Should I take the two-up tandem set up off temporarily and return the Ducati to the stock one rider configuration or leave it as is? Dare I weather the wrath of a daughter?

Log Item: Can you spot the differences between the old Diavel and the new Diavel. It's interesting (if only to Ducati drivers, when two devils meet.

2012 Diavel (left) 2015 Diavel (right)

Crib Note: Most of the differences are in the engine (new for 2013).

Taking it Tactical (Part 2)

Ducati Monster - I've thought of doing something like this with a Diavel, transforming it from stock into a bike with a more promising military application.

Am I going to cut up my Diavel? No. I'm going to scour the local junk yards for a wreck to rebuild.

UK - Tactical

Their motto is that "you meet the nicest people on a Honda...

British Army, Royal Signals Corps on Honda R250's in Iraq

US Entry to Tactical Motorcycles

USMC, keeping it real, preparing for deployment to Iraq

The US Marine Corps' HDT M103M1 uses the chassis, a few engine components and all the internal transmission parts of the Kawasaki KLR650. The difference comes with the fuel. This is a diesel /JP-8 motorcycle. It is sluggish, but it gets nearly 100 miles per gallon

Answer to the Mystery Question from "Taking it Tactical (Part 1), the motorcycle below is a Honda Goldwing.

Taking it Tactical (Part 1)

Ducati Monster (Diesel/JP-8)

Today, we're going to look at the Ducati entry, taking the place of the venerable Moto Guzzi in Italian service. 

This Ducati Monster XL - Diesel is designed for long range military service - with a loss of some performance, but no loss of style.

Do I want one? 

Let me put it this way, I think that I need one, but I don't know what I'd use it for -- however I could think of something.

Serbian Special Police Unit "SAJ"

Serbian Police fire while riding a Suzuki Gixer (GSX)

Specijalna Antiteroristička Jedinica Team B trains their counterterrorism operators in rapid assault while riding a motorcycle, however I question the tactical advisability of standing while shooting simply because it makes you a much larger target. Maybe the Serbians have enough spare operators where the loss of a few isn't a big deal? Maybe they're using the Suzuki because they are expendable? That would make sense.

MYSTERY QUESTION: The motorcycle below is based on which motorcycle? - post your answer here. The mystery will be revealed on "Taking it Tactical" Part 2.

Yes, it's one of those fantasy scooters. Their hearts are in the right place but dual mini guns are not optimal use of a motorcycle. I'm not a hater, though. I do like the look of the bike. I'd just like it a whole lot better if they were slapping them on a Ducati. That's a hint. It's not a Ducati.

Keeping it real with a tomahawk.

Ducati Streetfighter

Modified for military use

US Army guys rolling heavy in armor. Wouldn't you respect them more if they were riding on Ducati Streetfighters as part of a rapid strike force? Yeah, me too.

Riding Notes

Log Item: A few riding notes on the Ducati Diavel. I've been riding the Devil almost every day for about two months and have a few things to report. I don't have any gripes on the bike, but there are a few things to discuss.

2015 Ducati Diavel

(1) There is power from the line all the way to red line. There are no lags. For those of you who ride bikes like Harley Davidsons, there is no 'roll on power'. Even the HD V-Rods have that characteristic. With the Devil you have as much power at your fingertips as you want.

The power curve is not unlike a V-Max. The V-Max is as fast as the Diavel but it weighs 200 lbs more and is a shaft drive bike. The V-Max has a much higher center of gravity and doesn't corner all that well at slower speeds (haters, have at me but I've been there and done that). The Diavel allows the rider to sit lower on the bike and is much easier to maneuver.

(2) The throttle requires a twist. It's not a tight throttle, which is a good thing for everyday riding. There is all the power that you need/want, but you must twist the throttle a bit to get it to scream. 

(3) There are three riding settings and you can switch between them on the fly: Urban (100 HP), tuned down for people who may be intimidated by the bike; Touring (162 HP Low); different shift ratios and different traction control than; Sport (162 HP High). I keep it on Sport because the bike is "happier" in that setting. It simply runs truer to design.

This means that the bike is very malleable in terms of "riding it the way YOU are most comfortable". Though why one would buy a Diavel and not keep it in Sport Mode is beyond me. 

(4) Since it's not a sport bike with a wind deflector and a faring (it's a naked bike) and you are sitting up, they way that you would on any cruiser, there is wind pressure, which increases as you pass about 90 mph and makes it a bit uncomfortable. My Puig motorcycle windscreen is somewhere between Spain and here. I think that will help a great deal on trips where freeway speeds are somewhere between 75 and 85.  

(5) The bike is rated for 170 mph and I have no doubt that it will do that off the showroom floor without modifications. I don't know what you'd do in order to modify it to squeeze out more horsepower, but perhaps it's the wrong bike for you if you need to go faster. 

The Panigale R has 205 HP and weighs 150 lbs less than the Diavel. It will easily top 200 mph.

Log Item: This is an interesting account. He should have been riding a Ducati.

Paisan

Emilie takes a selfie

Log Item: Would you take an Italian motorcycle to an Italian restaurant? It would seem to be a no brainer but there are are a lot of Italian restaurants out there which brings me to the eternal question of WHICH one to go to?

Do old Mafia joints serve the best Italian food?

I'm thinking about Mulberry St. in New York City. Sparks Steakhouse where Paul Castellano was shot down, Don Peppe in Queens, and Umberto's Clam House in Little Italy where Crazy Joe Gallo was murdered in the middle of his birthday. Rao's in New York is good too. I was there in 2003, right before Louis Barone shot down Albert Circelli for bad-mouthing a female singer. (Scorsese used the spot for inspiration, even featuring Rao's regular Johnny Roastbeef in the movie, Goodfellas.) La Mela used to be called the Mayfair Boy's Civic and Social Club. Rudy Guliani's favorite mob joint in NY is Da Nico. There is the Green Mill in Chicago, Camille's in Providence and The Coliseum in Boston.  Total mob, good chow.

My daughter, Emilie, who is along for this run on the Diavel prefers Umberto's Clam House (used to be called Da Gennaro) where she orders the lobster ravioli every time she is in New York. But I'm not driving her to New York. She MUST learn to settle for local cuisine. Did I ever call her spoiled?

There is the Newport Sausage Company in Newport Beach, California - and the old reputed mobsters retired, leaving it to their kids, who expanded it and re-named it. Most of what the bad guys did consisted of bookmaking and twisting speedometers on cars. The sausage was excellent.

Filipi's Restaurant (San Diego's Little Italy) comes from the same pedigree, and while the place was sold, Roberto De Philippis' kids still run some of the franchises. Old Man De Philippis was the reputed head of the San Diego branch of the Los Angeles LCN Family. It's a title that he disputes (he's 81 years old now). The place is a landmark in Little Italy and the food is Italian American, or American Italian, depending on your perspective.

De Philippis is from a restaurant family with roots in New York City. His parents, Vincent and Madeline, moved to California from The Bronx. They founded Filippi's Pizza Grotto in 1950 in San Diego. 

In 1976, De Philippis pleaded no contest to three counts of federal income tax evasion and was sentenced to two years in prison. He served about a year. “If everybody went to jail who cheated on their income tax, there'd be a prison on every corner,” De Philippis said.

Never eat more food than you can lift

Then, in 1980, the liquor license of the Mission Valley restaurant was briefly suspended. “There was a customer, he was bookmaking in the restaurant, and we didn't know nothin' about nothin',” De Philippis said.

He opened Butcher de Carlo, a restaurant in Tijuana that was a big hit with the spy crowd, the Mexican Army and the Federal Judicial Police. I was there a number of times. Best steak in Northern Mexico, hands-down. There was a whorehouse on the second floor if the customers wanted to risk a social disease (Mexican nationals don't often use condoms). I never made my way upstairs...for those of you with dirty minds.

De Philippis said that secret to his restaurant success (in the US and Mexico), "Hire attractive waitresses. You'll think I'm crazy, but I believe they make the food taste better.”

I only recently learned that they opened a restaurant about ten miles from where I live. I could go there normal, or I could ride Italian Devil for old time's sake. And if I'm goin' Mafia, Emilie is tagging along for supper.

Following the ride, Emilie takes a selfie to assure herself that she didn't gain weight after bolting down half a plate of fetucini alfredo and half an order of garlic bread. (she brought the rest home)