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Mickey Mantle's Restaurant Could Be Facing Eviction

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- It's the bottom of the ninth for a restaurant once owned by a legendary New York Yankee. Mickey Mantle's restaurant is trying to raise money to avoid eviction.

The landlord wants to evict the restaurant by the end of May, for nonpayment of rent. Mickey Mantle's has existed in its Central Park South home for twenty-five years.

Current owner Chris Villano recently put the restaurant into bankruptcy, but friend Bill Liederman has stepped up in an effort to save Mantle's.

"We need $1 million to get it back on its feet," said Liederman.

Liederman has reached out to former Yankees David Cone, Ron Guidry, and Goose Gossage to support the effort. He told 1010 WINS that he has asked them for $10,000 each.

Liederman said that he has had no luck with current players, he can't even get past their agents.

"Their agents just laugh."

Liederman also told WCBS 880 reporter Alex Silverman that anybody willing to contribute money could buy a stake in the restaurant.

WCBS 880 reporter Alex Silverman reports...

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Villano has continued to keep the restaurant running. He added thirty flat screen TV's and recently upgraded the menu.

But with rent increasing to $850,000 a year, and the Mantle family asking for an increasing amount of money for the right to use their name, Villano has been feeling the financial squeeze.

Villano said that those factors, combined with the 2008 stock market meltdown, have contributed to his bad luck.

"We're down thirty-percent since then," he said.

Villano also said that he plans to countersue  his landlord ATCO, for trying to find a new tenant, even though he still has eight years remaining on his lease.

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