Who

Niccolini is the co-owner and genial host at the Four Seasons, the fabled midtown eatery that caters to moguls and captains of industry.

Backstory

A native of Lucca, Niccolini worked at several European hotel schools before arriving in the U.S. in the early 1970s, taking a job at the Palace, a tony eatery on 59th Street. In 1977 he went to work at the Four Seasons, where he met Swiss-born Alex Von Bidder, who'd joined the fabled restaurant as a manager the year before. At the time, the Four Seasons was under the ownership of Paul Kovi and Tom Margittai, longtime restaurateurs who had purchased it from Restaurant Associates several years earlier. Yet despite the venue's illustrious roots—a design by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, stunning artwork by Miro and Picasso—it had lost some of its luster during its waning days under Restaurant Associates. Kovi, Margittai and their charges set about changing that and within a few years the Four Seasons had returned to center stage as the de facto cafeteria for the city's media mogul and financier set.

Kovi and Margittai retired in 1994 and handed over the operation to Niccolini and von Bidder. When they had difficulty anteing up to buy the restaurant's lease, Seagram scion Edgar Bronfman stepped in as their backer. (Although Bronfman gave up his family's stake in the restaurant following the sale of their liquor and media empire in 2000, four years later the Bronfmans paid $4.3 million to reacquire their 51 percent stake.) Now as always, extroverted Niccolini plays the role of diplomat and manages the ever-important seating chart, while low-key Von Bidder tends to the day-to-day business operations.

Of note

Unveiled to the public in 1959—and awarded landmark status inside and out in 1989—the Four Seasons has long played host to some of the most powerful players in politics, finance and media. Regulars over the years have included Ron Perelman, Barbara Walters, Ron Lauder, Leonard Lauder, Brooke Astor, Pete Peterson, Steve Schwarzman, Sandy Weill, Ed Koch, Mort Zuckerman, Ace Greenberg, Donald Trump, Henry Kissinger, Barry Diller, Mario Cuomo, Leona Helmsley, and George Pataki.

It's affable Niccolini who greets power players at the door and treats them like family, insisting they follow prescribed diets (he restricted Michael Eisner from eating fatty foods following heart surgery) and not concern themselves with pedestrian worries like carrying around cash (he sends regulars a monthly bill). He also juggles who sits where: Bitter enemies have to be kept far apart, lascivious moguls have to be within close proximity of beautiful young women. Such skillful management of the room's oversized personalities and, more importantly, the opportunity to hobnob with fellow power players, keeps them all coming back (it isn't the $125 white truffle risotto), although how much longer that will continue remains to be seen. With the moguls of yore now retiring (or heading to the great big Four Seasons in the sky) and with new competition in the 'hood like John McDonald's Lever House across the street, some say the Four Seasons' primacy is fading.

Drama

With all those boldfaced names gathered in one room, it's only to be expected that the Four Seasons would have seen its share of drama over the years. Marla Maples was lunching when she was served with a subpoena by Ivana Trump during her bitter divorce from Donald Trump. An animal rights activist dropped a dead raccoon on Anna Wintour's plate while she was eating her usual—a bloody rare hamburger, no bun—with Steve Florio and Richard Beckman in 1996. (The icy editrix didn't bat an eyelash: "Merry Christmas," she reportedly told Florio as servers removed the carcass and she calmly finished her coffee.) In 2003, GQ editor Art Cooper had a fatal heart attack while lunching with David Zinczenko.

AKA

Do feel free to call him Julian since that's what everyone calls him, but his first name is actually Giuliano.

On the side

Niccolini recently launched Bee Naughty Honey, which is produced on the grounds of his estate in Bedford. He has a big screen credit, too: He played himself in the 2006 film Inside Man.

Personal

Niccolini lives in Bedford with his wife, Lisa. They have a daughter, Marusca, who is an aspiring journalist.