Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant

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Campisi's Egyptian Lounge is an Italian restaurant located at 5610 E. Mockingbird Lane in the University Park area of Dallas, Texas. The name is derived from its original décor and floor plan, consisting of two main lounge areas, one in the front, with a main bar and dining area, and another, more discreet bar and dining area replete with signed photos of local and national celebrities. The overall ambiance is low-light and low-key. During the 1990s, Another, larger dining area was added, on the eastern side of the larger lounge area.

Prior to 1946, Joe Campisi owned one bar, the Idle Hour, and soon bought another, the Egyptian Lounge on Mockingbird Lane, from a Greek family who, it is said, needed to get out of town quickly. Campisi's sisters often brought food to the bar for Joe and his brothers to eat. Customers tasted the food, liked it and quickly began requesting their own servings. Thus, the Egyptian soon metamorphosed from a lounge to restaurant, which began operating in 1946. As a result, Joe Campisi and his family are generally credited with introducing the first Italian restaurant and commercial pizzeria to the Dallas area. Afraid the word "lounge" would dissuade families from patronizing his restaurant, Joe removed the word "lounge" from the sign and substituted "Campisi's." Thus, Campisi's Egyptian was born.

The restaurant is historically notable for several other reasons. Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant received one the first post-prohibition liquor licenses in Dallas. As with any long-standing successful establishment, whispered rumors and colorful tales abound. Campisi says many patrons question whether or not the family is "connected," most notably with the controversies surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The House Select Committee on Assassinations said that Jack Ruby, who murdered assassination suspect [[Lee Harvey Oswald on the 24th, had known restaurateurs Sam (1920 – 1970) and Joe Campisi (1918 – 1990) since moving to Dallas from Chicago in 1947, and had been seen with them on many occasions.

While Campisi's technical characterization in Federal law enforcement records as an organized crime member has ranged from definite to suspected to negative, it is clear that he was an associate or friend of many Dallas-based organized crime members, particularly Joseph Civello during the time the latter was head of the Dallas organization. There was no indication, however, that Campisi himself had engaged in any specific organized crime-related activities.

In contrast, a PBS Frontline investigation into the connections between Ruby and Dallas organized crime figures reported the following:^{[citation needed]}

In 1963, Sam and Joe Campisi were leading figures in the Dallas underworld. Jack knew the Campisis and had been seen with them on many occasions. The Campisis were lieutenants of Carlos Marcello, the Mafia boss who had reportedly talked of killing the President.

A day before Kennedy was murdered, Ruby went to Joe Campisi's restaurant. At the time of the Kennedy assassination, Ruby was close enough to the Campisis to ask them to come see him after he was arrested for shooting Lee Oswald.

A number of writers have suspected Jack Ruby of being linked to organized crime, and some have gone on to hypothesize that his alleged links to organized crime suffice as evidence of a conspiracy to kill Lee Harvey Oswald and/or John F. Kennedy. Of these suggestions, one lawyer has stated:

It is very noteworthy that without exception, not one of these conspiracy theorists knew or had ever met Jack Ruby. Without our even resorting to his family and roommate, all of whom think the suggestion of Ruby being connected to the mob is ridiculous, those who knew him, unanimously and without exception, think the notion of his being connected to the Mafia, and then killing Oswald for them, is nothing short of laughable.

Today, Campisi's Restaurants are owned and operated by 3rd and 4th generation family members and have branched out to 6 other locations in the Dallas area. The original Egyptian is owned and operated by Corky Campisi and his children, one of whom, Amber Lynn Campisi, was Playboy's Playmate of the Month for February 2005.