Latest news with #Roberta
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Two New Destination Worthy Pizzerias Open In Bushwick
A Detroit-style pie at Turbo Pizza For over a decade, Bushwick has been a destination for top notch pizza, strongly thanks to Roberta's. Open since early 2008, the world famous pizzeria continues to sling thin-crust pies, plus veggie-centric apps, pastas, and more. And though Bushwick has changed significantly in recent years, the North Brooklyn neighborhood is becoming a hotspot for specialty pizzerias. This summer, two new pizza spots have opened in Bushwick: Lucky Charlie and Turbo Pizza. Here's what to know about visiting each Lucky Charlie Open since late June 2025, Lucky Charlie is the latest project from award-winning chef Nino Coniglio of Williamsburg Pizza. Located at 254 Irving Ave. (between Bleecker and Menahan), the restaurant is home to the oldest coal oven in America. Newly renovated, the 42-seat dining room is inspired by New York pizzerias of the 1920s (think exposed brick and red leather bar stools) with a nod to the chef's Sicilian heritage. Coal-fired pizzas are made with Italian-imported ingredients, and menu also includes seasonal meat, seafood, and oven-baked pasta dishes. A coal-fired pizza at Lucky Charlie in Bushwick, Brooklyn Pizzas include the classic pie topped with fiori di latte, DOP San Marzano tomatoes, Sicilian oregano, and imported Italian sheep's milk pecorino, drizzled with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil and topped with finely grated parmigiano reggiano; and the white pie with stracciatella, caciocavallo, whipped sheep's milk ricotta, imported pecorino sardo, drizzled with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil. The lasagna verde features 20 layers of housemade pasta, cream sauce with parsley, zucchini, basil, locally-sourced fresh spinach, housemade mozzarella, pecorino romano and parmigiano reggiano. Additional summer dishes include a sicilian seafood salad with calamari, octopus, scungilli, clams, shrimp, and mussels; and steak pizzaiola with aged ribeye topped with Sunday sauce, oregano, heirloom tomatoes, and carmelized onions. To drink, Lucky Charlie's beverage program focuses on Italian flavors and exclusively offers imported Sicilian wines. Cocktail highlights include a Calabrian Martini with Sicilian olive oil washed vodka and Calabrian chili brine, and the Spaghett Americano with contratto rosso, red bitter, and Miller High Life. Lucky Charlie is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. - 3 a.m. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. nightly. Turbo Pizza A new Detroit-style pizzeria and full bar opened at 1540 Dekalb Avenue this July, Turbo Pizza. Run by Bushwick locals and brothers Max and Spencer Nelson and friend Jordan Dubey, the pizzeria aims to emulate your favorite dive bar, but with better food. The 40-seat space features checkered floors, vintage wood paneling, a UV-lit zodiac mural, photo booth, and a pool table. Chef John True, who spent over 13 years at Roberta's, leads the kitchen. His dough that nods to Detroit's 1940s era recipes, when auto workers baked pies in deep steel oil pans. A high-hydration focaccia-style base is par-baked for lift, then baked again to achieve a golden bottom and crisp, caramelized frico edge, that is, the perfect space when cheese melts and sizzles against the sides of the pan. Detroit-style pizzas at Turbo Pizza in Bushwick, Brooklyn The menu features Detroit-style pizzas in small (2 slices), medium (6 slices), and large (8 slices). Flavors include standard cheese or pepperoni plus more unique combinations like the Burrata and soppressata with hot honey, Hawaiian with capicola and pineapple, and Supreme with buffalo sauce, chicken, celery, blue cheese, red and green onions. Wings, salads, and sides are also on the menu, plus sauces to dip the crusts in. Jordan Dubey, formerly of Hotel Chantelle, developed the cocktail menu. Highlights include a roasted mint lemonade, Hibiki highball with Topo Chico, and a house dirty martini. Turbo Pizza also offers beer by can, bottle, and draft, beer-and-shot combos, non-alcoholic options, and a wine list featuring selections from Italy, Puerto Rico, and bubbly. Turbo Pizza is open from 2 p.m. - midnight on weekdays, until 2 a.m. on weekdays, and offers a takeout window until 4 a.m. every night, the perfect detour for late night commuters off the Dekalb L train.
Observer
12-07-2025
- Health
- Observer
A Life Dedicated to Healing, Heritage, and Natural Wisdom
I heard of her death. But nobody can say for sure what caused it. Someone who adored her said she died with a broken heart, after losing her own daughter. I've always thought of her as my second mother. In those brief moments—hellos and texts that took weeks to reply—I was happy to imagine her somewhere, living her best life. Dr. MaryAnn James [Roberta] was far from fragile. I met her at over 60, yet she had so much life in her, it was like talking to someone my age. She was a fascinating person, and for years she worked in Oman's wellness world, partnering with one of Oman's most respected families to bring beautiful wellness programmes to the country. The first time I met her, she took me to a stunning desert resort. She promised it had one of the most magical spas the country would ever know. During that visit, we discussed many things—how Oman's seasons are how nature heals us. How the punishing summer makes way for the green Khareef, which renews the soul, and how Khareef is followed by winter. She believed that healing—be it physical, mental, or spiritual—comes from understanding and harnessing the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. Her approach was rooted in tradition yet presented with a modern awareness, emphasising natural therapies, herbal ingredients, and holistic wellness. She often referenced regional treasures such as frankincense, Oman's Rehan, and date fruits, highlighting her pride in local resources and her deep desire to promote indigenous knowledge. Her focus was on gentle, natural methods that not only healed but also inspired wonder about the traditions and ingredients of the region. She wanted her readers and clients to feel both informed and motivated to pursue healthier lifestyles—nurturing themselves with organic farming, face reflections, and natural therapies. She talked about science and myths, swapping between facts and legends with ease. Using stories from myths and legends, she brought them to life. She loved Oman. She had lived in Sweden and the UK, found peace in the Himalayas, but Oman—the desert—she loved it like an oryx staring into the endless land, still finding reasons to appreciate its quietness and calm. In the five years I knew her, she taught me more about Oman than my own friends. She teased me about the real location of Diana's Point and said fossils should be highlighted more in the Jabal Akhdar tourism plans. She genuinely believed that Oman was the best place in the world to heal because of its natural healing elements, like Rehan, frankincense, and date fruits, and she promoted their uses passionately. Dr Maryann She could switch topics easily, and her memories were as clear as if she were still young. She showed me Oman's biggest mushroom factory, told me about harvesting the best dates during the full moon. We spent nights in cold Jabal Akhdar talking about how to grow the wellness scene. One day, she picked me up in a golf cart and encouraged me to try playing—telling me I was a better shot than I thought. With her encouragement, I did something I would normally dismiss as boring. She built a wellness pyramid in Oman—such an old idea now, almost forgotten. But at its peak, she led some media inside a tunnel, into the heart of this pyramid. Inside, she told us to sit on a yoga mat, and under a faint light streaming from above, she showed us the magic of natural Botox—lifting and glowing with just her hands. It was intense and unforgettable; different from anything else. Her practice was about harmonising the body naturally, emphasising herbal remedies and harnessing the healing power of regional treasures like frankincense and Rehan, which she believed carried ancient secrets and profound benefits. She had a gift with words. Even in chaos, she was a calm force. I invited her to write as a lifestyle columnist for Oman Observer, where she shared her thoughts on the magic of Oman's humble herbs, holistic wellness, and secrets from a moonlit garden. Her writings reflected her deep care and dedication—her wish that everyone approached health with kindness, patience, and respect for nature's gifts. Now she's gone, keeping more secrets inside herself, only sharing what she chose. Her columns remain as her last gift—a window into her knowledge and kindness. I've always wondered about her. I like to think she's still alive somewhere—perhaps in the Himalayas, tending her herbs in a garden, as vibrant as ever. She was full of kindness and wisdom, showing us that the world has so much to give if only we listen, and if only we let it heal us naturally. I promised I would visit her someday. She promised she'd come to Oman soon. Neither happened. Many who loved her in Oman don't even know she has passed. So I am writing this tribute—because if anyone deserved to be remembered, it's her. I thought I knew her well, but I realise I didn't know everything. And if the world forgets Dr MaryAnn James Roberta, at least in my heart, she will stay alive. One day, I will find her quiet place in the Himalayas. I will look at those mountains she loved. I will visit the spots she recommended. But just as she lived a life filled with purpose and meaning, I hope mine will also be meaningful, extraordinary, and unforgettable.
The Age
11-07-2025
- The Age
Crime and chaos: Victoria's seven most notorious women
Toxicology showed the lunch guests had been poisoned with death cap mushrooms that police quickly found were laced into homemade beef Wellingtons. Three guests, Don and Gail Patterson, plus Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died while Heather's husband, Ian, against all medical odds, survived. Although Erin Patterson ate the same meal, she did not suffer the same dangerous symptoms. Loading This was not a crime of impulse but one that was planned like a science experiment, finding the poisoned mushrooms, luring her victims to a deadly meal on the false claim she had cancer, a protracted cover-up and then performances in front of the media and the jury of a bewildered victim. As she stood in front of her house sobbing, she told reporters she loved her in-laws. Then there was an involuntary gesture – a finger to her eye and a quick glance to see if there were real tears. There were none. She repeated the action, seemingly overwhelmed in the witness box. Clearly, the jury didn't buy what she was selling. Her defence team is likely to appeal on the grounds the jury got it wrong. Good luck with that. The trial judge, Justice Christopher Beale, went out of his way to thank the jurors for their exemplary behaviour. 2. Roberta Williams Wife of gangster Carl Williams, she once tried to run him over outside a bottle shop after an argument. She was anything but the long-suffering wife. When Williams wanted to kill one of his many rivals, Jason Moran, Roberta was used as bait. She tried to pick a fight with Jason's wife, Trish, outside the school their children attended to lure Moran into an ambush. When he was finally killed – along with his friend, Pasquale Barbaro – in a van filled with kids, a listening device picked up Roberta's reaction. 'I'll be partying tonight.' But Roberta did have some sensible boundaries. When she complained about the workload of being a single parent while Carl was in jail (he was killed in custody in 2010), a family friend offered to babysit. It was Greg Domaszewicz, who was acquitted of murdering Moe toddler Jaidyn Leskie. Roberta declined the offer, adding, 'You are f-----g joking.' 3. Meshilin Marrogi Probably Victoria's only female crime boss. Her brother, George, king of the jail jungle, ran the Notorious Crime Family from behind bars, where he had spent nearly all his adult life, having first killed at the age of 17. Hundreds of his calls to his legal team were diverted to allow him to control his crime syndicate while in maximum security. The brains behind the gang was his sister, Meshilin, who controlled the drug trafficking and the finances. When she died, aged 30, in 2021 from COVID-19 complications, there was a procession of Rolls Royces used to ferry grieving friends and family to the funeral. But George's many enemies had no compassion, and long memories. In 2023, they broke into the family crypt and robbed her body of jewellery. Without Meshlin's guiding hand, the Notorious Crime Family collapsed. 4. Kath Pettingill Known as Granny Evil, she reared a snake pit of sons, some of whom found no crime was too low. She had 10 children including the notorious drug dealer, informer and multiple murderer, Dennis Bruce Allen. Two other sons, Victor Peirce and Trevor Pettingill, were charged and acquitted of the 1988 Walsh Street murders of constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre. Decades later, Peirce was ambushed in a gangland murder in Bay Street, Port Melbourne. Kath had an eye shot out in 1978. Police launched an investigation into the crime family, naturally calling it 'Operation Cyclops'. Aged 90, she lives out of the limelight at Venus Bay, lobbying for community projects including safer streets. 5. Wendy Peirce From a law-abiding family, she fell for Victor Peirce, placing her in the Allen/Pettingill/Peirce hell-hole of violence. The family wanted to shoot her in the foot to provide Victor grounds for a bail application so he could look after his injured wife. After Walsh Street, police persuaded her to change sides and become the star prosecution witness against the four men charged, including her husband. At first, she liked being in witness protection but as the months dragged into years, she saw her future. A new identity, no contact with her family and a life of looking over her shoulder. She made contact with the Pettingills and changed sides again, effectively sabotaging the case. The four walked free. Wendy was sentenced to 18 months with a minimum of nine for perjury. For years, I kept in contact with Wendy, first at her home in the outer east while Victor was doing time, and after he was murdered in 2001, near her home in Port Melbourne. She would speak of the most horrendous violence as if it were an everyday event. Such as the day she discovered Allen's wife, Sissy. 'Dennis opened the boot. Sissy was in there with her throat cut. It wasn't ear to ear, but she lay there just gurgling. He told someone to drive her somewhere and just leave her in a dump master. I got her dropped off at a railway station, so someone would find her and take her to hospital. That saved her life.' Loading In 2005, she admitted to me the truth about Walsh Street. 'Victor was the organiser.' While in witness protection, she insisted on browsing in an expensive South Yarra lingerie shop. Even though her guards had a fistful of dollars, she tried to shoplift certain garments until a Special Operations Group member threatened to take his Uzi machinegun out of his backpack and shoot her. Which meant the g-man said no to the g-string. 6. Nicola Gobbo The dreadful irony of the Gobbo saga is the barrister-turned-informer who spent so much time seeking to be a headline act now has been reduced to living in the shadows. What is lost in the Gobbo story is what could have been. She had the talent, the drive, the name (niece to the outstanding judge and governor, Sir James Gobbo), and the legal brain to become an elite barrister. Instead, her desire for centre stage, a weakness for bad men and a flawed moral compass led her to make disastrous decisions, first by getting too close to the crooks and then much too close to the cops. Loading If only those in her own profession had moved early to discipline her, the results may have been different. Instead, we have spent $300 million on inquiries, and some convictions (including against drug boss Tony Mokbel) remain in doubt. 7. Judy Moran Like Gobbo, Judy's fatal mistake was to believe her own publicity that she was some sort of crime matriarch. She was a more than competent shoplifter whose family life was destroyed by murder. The victim of repeated family violence, her husbands, Les Cole (1981) and Lewis Moran (2004), and sons, Mark Moran (2000) and Jason (2003), were killed in underworld murders. And she was a victim of savage domestic violence. But greed and an ego as big as the Hindenburg would be her undoing and just like the giant airship, she would crash and burn (or more accurately burn and crash). In 2009, she paid a hit-team to kill her brother-in-law, Des Moran, as he sat at his favourite Ascot Vale café.
Sydney Morning Herald
11-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Crime and chaos: Victoria's seven most notorious women
Toxicology showed the lunch guests had been poisoned with death cap mushrooms that police quickly found were laced into homemade beef Wellingtons. Three guests, Don and Gail Patterson, plus Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died while Heather's husband, Ian, against all medical odds, survived. Although Erin Patterson ate the same meal, she did not suffer the same dangerous symptoms. Loading This was not a crime of impulse but one that was planned like a science experiment, finding the poisoned mushrooms, luring her victims to a deadly meal on the false claim she had cancer, a protracted cover-up and then performances in front of the media and the jury of a bewildered victim. As she stood in front of her house sobbing, she told reporters she loved her in-laws. Then there was an involuntary gesture – a finger to her eye and a quick glance to see if there were real tears. There were none. She repeated the action, seemingly overwhelmed in the witness box. Clearly, the jury didn't buy what she was selling. Her defence team is likely to appeal on the grounds the jury got it wrong. Good luck with that. The trial judge, Justice Christopher Beale, went out of his way to thank the jurors for their exemplary behaviour. 2. Roberta Williams Wife of gangster Carl Williams, she once tried to run him over outside a bottle shop after an argument. She was anything but the long-suffering wife. When Williams wanted to kill one of his many rivals, Jason Moran, Roberta was used as bait. She tried to pick a fight with Jason's wife, Trish, outside the school their children attended to lure Moran into an ambush. When he was finally killed – along with his friend, Pasquale Barbaro – in a van filled with kids, a listening device picked up Roberta's reaction. 'I'll be partying tonight.' But Roberta did have some sensible boundaries. When she complained about the workload of being a single parent while Carl was in jail (he was killed in custody in 2010), a family friend offered to babysit. It was Greg Domaszewicz, who was acquitted of murdering Moe toddler Jaidyn Leskie. Roberta declined the offer, adding, 'You are f-----g joking.' 3. Meshilin Marrogi Probably Victoria's only female crime boss. Her brother, George, king of the jail jungle, ran the Notorious Crime Family from behind bars, where he had spent nearly all his adult life, having first killed at the age of 17. Hundreds of his calls to his legal team were diverted to allow him to control his crime syndicate while in maximum security. The brains behind the gang was his sister, Meshilin, who controlled the drug trafficking and the finances. When she died, aged 30, in 2021 from COVID-19 complications, there was a procession of Rolls Royces used to ferry grieving friends and family to the funeral. But George's many enemies had no compassion, and long memories. In 2023, they broke into the family crypt and robbed her body of jewellery. Without Meshlin's guiding hand, the Notorious Crime Family collapsed. 4. Kath Pettingill Known as Granny Evil, she reared a snake pit of sons, some of whom found no crime was too low. She had 10 children including the notorious drug dealer, informer and multiple murderer, Dennis Bruce Allen. Two other sons, Victor Peirce and Trevor Pettingill, were charged and acquitted of the 1988 Walsh Street murders of constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre. Decades later, Peirce was ambushed in a gangland murder in Bay Street, Port Melbourne. Kath had an eye shot out in 1978. Police launched an investigation into the crime family, naturally calling it 'Operation Cyclops'. Aged 90, she lives out of the limelight at Venus Bay, lobbying for community projects including safer streets. 5. Wendy Peirce From a law-abiding family, she fell for Victor Peirce, placing her in the Allen/Pettingill/Peirce hell-hole of violence. The family wanted to shoot her in the foot to provide Victor grounds for a bail application so he could look after his injured wife. After Walsh Street, police persuaded her to change sides and become the star prosecution witness against the four men charged, including her husband. At first, she liked being in witness protection but as the months dragged into years, she saw her future. A new identity, no contact with her family and a life of looking over her shoulder. She made contact with the Pettingills and changed sides again, effectively sabotaging the case. The four walked free. Wendy was sentenced to 18 months with a minimum of nine for perjury. For years, I kept in contact with Wendy, first at her home in the outer east while Victor was doing time, and after he was murdered in 2001, near her home in Port Melbourne. She would speak of the most horrendous violence as if it were an everyday event. Such as the day she discovered Allen's wife, Sissy. 'Dennis opened the boot. Sissy was in there with her throat cut. It wasn't ear to ear, but she lay there just gurgling. He told someone to drive her somewhere and just leave her in a dump master. I got her dropped off at a railway station, so someone would find her and take her to hospital. That saved her life.' Loading In 2005, she admitted to me the truth about Walsh Street. 'Victor was the organiser.' While in witness protection, she insisted on browsing in an expensive South Yarra lingerie shop. Even though her guards had a fistful of dollars, she tried to shoplift certain garments until a Special Operations Group member threatened to take his Uzi machinegun out of his backpack and shoot her. Which meant the g-man said no to the g-string. 6. Nicola Gobbo The dreadful irony of the Gobbo saga is the barrister-turned-informer who spent so much time seeking to be a headline act now has been reduced to living in the shadows. What is lost in the Gobbo story is what could have been. She had the talent, the drive, the name (niece to the outstanding judge and governor, Sir James Gobbo), and the legal brain to become an elite barrister. Instead, her desire for centre stage, a weakness for bad men and a flawed moral compass led her to make disastrous decisions, first by getting too close to the crooks and then much too close to the cops. Loading If only those in her own profession had moved early to discipline her, the results may have been different. Instead, we have spent $300 million on inquiries, and some convictions (including against drug boss Tony Mokbel) remain in doubt. 7. Judy Moran Like Gobbo, Judy's fatal mistake was to believe her own publicity that she was some sort of crime matriarch. She was a more than competent shoplifter whose family life was destroyed by murder. The victim of repeated family violence, her husbands, Les Cole (1981) and Lewis Moran (2004), and sons, Mark Moran (2000) and Jason (2003), were killed in underworld murders. And she was a victim of savage domestic violence. But greed and an ego as big as the Hindenburg would be her undoing and just like the giant airship, she would crash and burn (or more accurately burn and crash). In 2009, she paid a hit-team to kill her brother-in-law, Des Moran, as he sat at his favourite Ascot Vale café.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Immigrants, flying sheep and Brigitte Bardot: Britain through the lens of Picture Post
Photograph: Haywood Magee/Picture Post/This was taken the year Holiday first toured Europe and released a self-titled album Photograph:Roberta was once a Spitfire pilot, prisoner-of-war, racing motorist, husband and father of two. She transitioned following hormone treatment and surgery Photograph: Maurice Ambler/Picture Post/The Aldershot tattooist – then the only woman employed in her trade – engraves a butterfly on to a customer's leg Photograph: Haywood Magee/Picture Post/One Snowdonian sheep takes the plunge while others look down in anticipation Photograph: Grace Robertson/Picture Post/The Butlins staffer draws the attention of male holiday makers Photograph: Grace Robertson/Picture Post/Stripped to the waist, the man enjoys a beer while displaying the tattoos on his chest and arms Photograph: Bill Brandt/Picture Post/Each boy holds his toy gun at the ready Photograph:The French actor, dressed in a corset and bridal veil, smokes a cigarette while she flicks through a photospread of herself in San Tropez, France Photograph: Photo by John Chillingworth/Picture Post/Dunlop helped transport newly manufactured aircraft from the factory to the aerodrome during the second world war Photograph: Leonard McCombe/Picture Post/South African nursery nurse Patricia Farrier talks to a man after moving to England – she had never been to a non-apartheid country before Photograph: Alex Dellow/Picture Post/Arriving for work as usual, Mrs Marsh works among the broken glass of a tailor's shop after an air raid on the East End of London Photograph: Hardy/Picture Post/The man sits in front of a poster at the event which is being held at Chorlton-on-Medlock town hall in Manchester Photograph: John Deakin/Picture Post/
