VVH-TV's Tribute to Nick Monte of Gurney's Inn

VVH-TV's Tribute to Nick Monte of Gurney's Inn Nick Monte (Montemarano), the adored Innkeeper of Long Island's most famous, historic beach resort, Gurney's Inn and founder of the American seawater spa passed away Saturday October 13th in Nevada. He was just a over a month shy of his 91st birthday. Nick was born on November 26, 1916, the fifth of seven boys, in the apartment over their parents restaurant, Monte's Venetian Room on Carol Street.. Neither depressions nor recessions, mayor wars nor minor wars, prohibition nor epidemics ever disrupted the continuity of this tiny Italian restaurant and the love Nick had for his family. In 1932, Nick, only 16 years old, took over the business after his father had an accident, and he had to drop out of Brooklyn Tech. From that moment on Nick Monte become the forever gracious host of Monte's Venetian Room until he acquired Gurney's Inn in 1956 and moved to Montauk. As the story goes, one afternoon in the summer of 1955, a friend in Brooklyn who had a house in Montauk invited Nick to lunch in Montauk with the promise of the best linguini and clam sauce he'd ever tasted. For a man who owned one of the most successful Italian restaurants in Brooklyn, Monte's Venetian Room on Carroll Street, he had to admit he was intrigued. Upon arriving at his friend's home he was offered a glass of wine on the deck overlooking the ocean. The two men sat and talked for some time. They talked and then they talked some more...there they were sitting on the deck sipping wine jovially and languorously, when low and behold, the bottle was gone and lunch was nowhere to be found. So Nick thought it worth mentioning the promised lunch. Since neither of the men was in any condition to cook at that time, they decided to head over to Gurney's Inn for lunch. At the time, Gurney's was owned by Mrs. Maude Gurney, who happened to be a Christian Scientist. Christian Scientists do not believe in the consumption of alcohol, therefore the resta...