Mickey Mantle's sports bar closes

Mickey Mantle's, the Central Park South eatery/sports bar popular with Yankees fans for a quarter of a century, closed Tuesday after 25 years due to a failure to pay rent for months.

Owner Chris Villano blamed it on disputes with landlord ATCO, rising food costs and "shifting city regulations."

The place was once co-owned by Mantle himself. Partners kept it going after the Yankees legend died in 1995, and Villano has been in control since 2002.

The New York Post first reported the eatery's lease woes in April. At the time, consultant Bill Liederman, who was among the original partners, launched an effort to bring in new investors, including former Yankees players.

They won a brief reprieve in bankruptcy court last month, but it was not enough to save it.

ATCO could not be reached for comment.