Campagnola — the Upper East Side Italian restaurant favored by law enforcement and, sometimes, their mobbed-up targets — is being sold.
The first clue was the disappearance of longtime maitre d’ Salvatore Lombardi, who was hoping to buy the First Avenue eatery, which also attracts athletes such as Peyton Manning and Eric Decker.
Owner Murray Wilson promised the well-liked Lombardi first crack at buying the 30-year-old restaurant but when Wilson died in 2010, his daughter Lori Wilson took over.
“Sal made an offer, but Lori turned it down,” an insider told me. “He was very upset — sobbing.”
The buyer is LDV Hospitality, founded by John Meadow. LDV owns 25 places in Vegas, Miami and New York, including Scarpetta and American Cut.
The firm also has partnerships with Scott Conant, Amy Sacco and other big names.