P. J. Moriarty

Patrick John Moriarty (1907–1909 – December 30, 1977) was an Irish-born American restaurateur. In 1929, he emigrated to the United States from Anascaul, County Kerry, Ireland, and settled in New York City. After working in the restaurant industry and serving in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, Moriarty opened his first restaurant, P. J. Moriarty's, in 1948. He eventually owned several restaurants bearing his name in Midtown Manhattan, Turtle Bay, and across the street from Penn Station. His restaurants, which served dishes such as steaks, chops, and stews, were popular with the Rockettes, journalists like Hal Boyle and Bob Considine, the cartoonist and animator Walt Kelly, and Irish politicians. Moriarty gained national fame in 1955, when he was caught placing a fake fire hydrant in front of his building to prevent parking after a police patrolman noticed that the hydrant had disappeared after he had ticketed a car for parking next to it. Moriarty died in 1977, aged 68 or 69. His final restaurant closed in 1981 or 1982; the building was purchased by Donald Trump and demolished to make way for Trump Plaza.