The saying goes that it’s not about what you know, but who you know. And it should come as no surprise that Vito Schnabel knows a lot of people around New York City.

The art collector, curator, man-about-town, and boyfriend of supermodel Heidi Klum has been revealed to be the party responsible for connecting Schnabel family pal Aby Rosen with the team behind Major Food Group, who are set to take over the famed Four Seasons Restaurant space in midtown Manhattan.

Schnabel is an investor in the hospitality group’s Greenwich Village restaurant Carbone. Page Six reports that he introduced Rosen to Major’s Jeff Zalaznick, Rich Torrisi, and Mario Carbone a year ago.

Vito Schnabel.
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.

The deal for Major to open eateries in Rosen’s Seagram Building was announced last week, and reportedly took some Four Seasons staffers by surprise.

But while the fare will change, much of the interior architecture of the Four Seasons space will not, thanks to a ruling by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The stunning fountain, wood paneling, and large windows aren’t going anywhere.

“We are not desecrating,” Rosen told the New York Times. “I think we are respecting and celebrating.”

“It’s not a museum,” Carbone agreed. “It’s a living, breathing thing that’s all about innovation.”

It’s not the first time Schnabel and Rosen have teamed up regarding the fate of a landmark New York building. You may recall that in May, Schnabel curated a somewhat ill-fated show at Rosen’s storied 190 Bowery property.

Renovation on the space will begin next summer, and the Four Seasons Restaurant is reportedly seeking a new location to host regulars such as Anna Wintour, Barbara Walters, Barry Diller, and other luminaries who have grown accustomed to power lunching there.