Frank Sgro, the legendary maître d’ at The Italian Village, will be retiring March 1 after 56 years spent working at the iconic restaurant. Sgro was only 16 years old in 1959 when he started working as a bus boy, working his way up to waiter and captain before earning the maître d’ position. With the exception of a stint in the Army from 1962 to 1964, has spent his entire professional career at The Italian Village restaurants. “I enjoyed every minute of it,” says Sgro. “I have worked for the greatest family in the business.” Over the years, Sgro …

by Ernie Grzeca “We Bake To Differ.” Not just a catchy slogan but also a real commitment by five generations of the Gonnella and Marcucci families. “At Gonnella Baking Co., we care about our product. It’s the quality. It’s the freshness. It’s the texture, the aroma and the crispiness. No detail is too small for our bakers not to fret over,” a company spokesperson says. “Our customers appreciate the combination of Old-World quality at a very competitive price.” That Old-World quality began in 1886 when Alessandro Gonnella came to the United States looking to fulfill the American Dream. He bought …

by Jim DiStasio, Joe Stella and Paul Basile Even though the Turano Baking Co. is one of the largest bread makers in the nation, its heart still beats with the warmth and generosity of a small family business. For the last half century, La Famiglia Turano has steadily built a world-class company firmly rooted in values that can be traced to its founder. Launched in a storefront shop in Chicago in 1962 by Mariano Turano, the company has blossomed under the stewardship of sons Renato, Tony and Giancarlo into a national powerhouse with more than 750 employees who create more …

The North American Transportation Employee Relations Association announced the appointment of local attorney Mark Spognardi as its new chairman. Spognardi is a partner at the Chicago branch of the Pautsch, Spognardi, & Baiocchi Legal Group, and has more than 30 years of experience in management-side labor and employment law. “I look forward to leading NATERA forward as we continue with our increased focus on giving superior value to NATERA’s membership. We believe that NATERA will continue to take a leading role in helping our member organizations tackle issues surrounding the changing regulatory landscape and workforce in trucking and transportation, including the critical need …

The FIAT 500 has been popping up everywhere lately, and it’s turning heads wherever it goes. As agile and sexy as it is economical and eco-friendly, it may be the perfect city car. And it has that inimitable sense of style that every Italian possesses and every American craves. “You can buy something cheap and small for $16,000, or you can buy something that has Italian heritage and style,” says Carmelo Scalzo, vice president of FIAT of Chicago. “With the FIAT 500, you get the best of all worlds. It’s affordable, it’s great on gas and it has that special …

When driving east on the Kennedy Expressway, it doesn’t take much to pass up Norridge without noticing it. A town of less than 15,000, Norridge was incorporated in 1948 and is almost completely surrounded by Chicago. It is a town made up largely of European immigrants, first- and second-generation Italians and Polish, hard-working people who take care of their families and each other. It might be easy to miss Norridge if you’re not looking for it, but there is no missing what has been happening on Lawrence Avenue just east of Cumberland Avenue for nearly 30 years. When Cumberland Chapels …

Great law firms go to great lengths for their clients. They fight hard in court to get settlements that plaintiffs deserve and expect. Without question, Fichera & Miller, P.C. has delivered that stellar performance ever since Dominic R. Fichera and Howard S. Miller joined forces in 1993. The former DePaul University College of Law classmates have a refreshing take on client advocacy. “Some attorneys think that the case is their case and not the client’s case. As a result, decisions are made that reflect what’s good for the firm — and not what’s good for the client,” says Fichera, who …

It’s not that far from 710 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago — where V. Formusa Co. opened its doors in 1898 — to 2150 Oxford Road in Des Plaines, where the company relocated. That the move took more than a century to make is a testament to the dedication and vision of the four generations that have run the oldest Italian food importer in the Chicago area. “It was hard to leave the old factory,” Vice President Sue Formusa Johnson admits. “It’s one of the oldest buildings in the city, we had relatives who were born upstairs, and it was …