The diner was built in 1967.

In 1986, the diner closed for six weeks after a fire.

The restaurant served its last meal in 2007.

The Forum Diner, a Paramus landmark made famous by an undercover mob bust in 1974, has been demolished to make way for an indoor skydiving facility.

Sky Group Investments received approval from the borough to construct an iFly Indoor Skydiving facility and fast-casual restaurant at the site of the long-vacant restaurant at 211 Route 4 east.

The developer first filed an application in December, and proceeded with the demolition on July 19.

Mayor Richard LaBarbiera on Tuesday called the demolition of the once-popular eatery a "bittersweet" time in the borough's history.

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"The diner holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of people in Paramus," said LaBarbiera, noting he frequented the restaurant often as a youngster. "Unfortunately, the diner sat for many, many years vacant and fell into disrepair."

The restaurant served its last lunch in 2007.

At that time, its new owners had plans to open a Jeep 17 dealership on the property. Those plans fell through after becoming tangled in litigation and amid a tanking economy. The restaurant then sat vacant for a decade.

"Regretfully, the diner turned into an eyesore," said LaBarbiera. "The diner's state of disrepair was remedied by the demolition. Still, it was a memory that was knocked down. It's bittersweet progress."

Established in 1967

The Forum Diner was a prefabricated building constructed in 1967 by the Newark-based Fodero Dining Car Co. and was one of the first diners to popularize circular booths to seat more customers per table.

The eatery had its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. There were several diners in the area that became popular places for families, but the Forum Diner was by far "the most popular at the time," said LaBarbiera.

History buffs and preservationists over the years pushed to save the diner — in 2007, and again in 2016 when iFly was initially proposed.

Although the diner was a popular place to eat, it gained notoriety as the spot where former Fort Lee Mayor Burt Ross, under supervision of the FBI, met with mob-linked developers in 1974 and helped nab them for bribery.

The incident was reported extensively by The Record at the time, and led to the 1976 book “The Bribe,” which recounted Ross’s ordeal.

A role in Jersey history

It was the spring of 1974, and Fort Lee Mayor Burt Ross sat in a booth at the Forum Diner with Arthur Sutton, a developer seeking approvals for a $250 million project, and Joey Diaco, his mob-linked associate.

They wanted to buy Ross's help for $500,000. What they didn't realize was that Ross was wearing a wire.

When Diaco signaled it was time to deliver the first $100,000 installment, Ross excused himself to use the restroom. Through a tiny microphone tucked inside his belt, he whispered to the FBI agents on the other end that the money was about to be handed over. "Jesus, I hope you can hear me," he added.

They did. Months later, Diaco and five others were convicted, and Ross became a Jersey rarity: a mayor who reported corruption.