World Market will feature retail items from across Italy, including a host of gourmet Italian food products, as part of a dramatic expansion facilitated by the Italian government. The chain of specialty/import retail stores launched its Italian Shop with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 18 at World Market Lincoln Park, 1623 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. The ceremony was followed by an open house until 7 p.m. that includes a coffee-and-cookie sampling from 10 a.m. to noon and food tasting event and raffle drawing from 4 to 7 p.m. (312-587-8037) The expansion and open house were made possible with the assistance of Italian Trade Agency.

The law firm of Amari & Locallo has once again received high marks from their peers in the field of real estate tax reduction.

Partners Leonard Amari and John Locallo were voted the top real estate tax lawyers in Illinois in the 2022 edition of Super Lawyer magazine, and associate attorney Vincent Oppedisano was recognized as a “Rising Star” in the field.

Last year, Amari was ranked by Leading Lawyer magazine as the No. 3 lawyer in the state in the real estate tax field, and Locallo was ranked No. 9. Both Amari and Locallo were rated “The Midwest’s Top Lawyers” in their field in this year’s National Law Journal.

With offices in Chicago’s River North neighborhood in Cook County, and in Bloomingdale in DuPage County, Amari & Locallo concentrates exclusively in reducing real estate taxes on commercial, industrial and residential properties in Illinois.

When Gabriella Esperson married Ryan Nelson, a fourth-generation farmer from Wisconsin, the seeds were sown for a new line of skin care products.

“I’ve always had a passion for animals — ever since I was a little girl,” Gabriella writes on her website. “Being married to a farmer who shares the same interests as me is a dream come true!”

Ryan gave Gabriella a Mini Nubian goat for their second anniversary. One animal became a small herd, and Gabriella soon found herself wondering what to do with the surplus milk being produced.

Internet research led to the founding of Down Home Soap, a company dedicated to creating a variety of products from the nutrient-rich milk of the family’s Mini Nubian herd.

The goats all have names, and Gabriella and her two daughters milk them by hand, feeding them homegrown flowers, herbs and vegetables planted in organic soil. All of the company’s products are 100 percent natural, and their labels are plastic-free and recyclable. A few of the soaps even contain embedded wildflower seeds that can be planted at home once they’re washed from the bar.

Fragrance combinations include grapefruit and rose, hickory and clove, and pine and mandarin spice. Other products include milk baths, herbal salves, lotions, lip balms and pottery soap dishes.

Gabriella is the daughter of Gina and Jim Esperson and the granddaughter of Agatha and the late Nick Giordano.

For details, click here.

Tony’s Fresh Market recently opened a store at 965 Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach, bringing the number of outlets in the grocery chain to 17. The company’s holdings include a warehouse and corporate headquarters in Itasca. The Round Lake Beach location is the chain’s first in Lake County. The business was founded in 1979 by Tony Ingraffia and his uncle, Domenico Gambino, both of whom were born in the small Sicilian town of Ciminna. For the rest of the story, turn to pages 60 and 61.

After 20 years at its expansive space on Harlem Avenue near Belmont in Chicago, Arezzo Jewelers has found a perfect fit at its new location on North Avenue in Elmwood Park.

“We needed an update, and we found out that it was easier in the long run to create a new space for ourselves,” says Michael Spilotro, who co-owns the jewelry store with his wife, Jeannie.

The move also ushers in a greater role for the Spilotros’ son, Vincent. With a graduate gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America and an apprenticeship with a master jeweler under his belt, he’s able to bring 21st-century technology to the ancient art of jewelry making and design.

The city of Arezzo is the gold capital of Italy, and its namesake store is known for crafting and selling gold and other jewelry with an Italian flair. The family makes regular trips to Italy in search of new merchandise.

Among the store’s offerings are earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, chains, religious medals, and engagement and wedding rings. They also specialize in certified natural and human-made loose diamonds.

The Spilotros are the area’s official Pandora jewelry retailer, and they carry a host of other name brands, including Luvente, Mars, Benchmark and Savoia.

Arezzo Jewelers is located at 7544 W. North Ave., Suite 1, Elmwood Park, IL 60707. For details, call 708-716-3626 or click here.

Entering its 25th year of operation, Spizzico Pizza & Pasta was at a crossroads. With a host of options available to the owners of the Elmwood Park dining landmark, the path forward was nevertheless clear: Keep it in the family.

“We’ve been in business since 1996,” co-owner Rocco Spizziri says. “My parents (Tito Sr. and Edvige) had this building on North Avenue, and when my brother (Tito Jr.) asked if he could put in a pizza place there, my dad let him.”

Thus, Spizziri Company, aka Spizzico, was born. Known for its double crust pizza and other casual Italian fare, Spizzico quickly gained a following throughout the area.

Then tragedy struck. Tito Jr. passed away, and Tito’s wife, Linda, needed help, so the entire Spizziri family pitched in.

As many as 30 family members have kept the business humming at one time or another. Many of them have other jobs or attend school, but they all put in time at Spizzico as well as at the family’s Mexican-themed restaurant next door, Señor Jefe.

“The whole point is to have the family here as much as possible,” Spizziri says. “For anyone in the family, there is always a job to fall back on. The door is always open.”

Spizzico is located at 7446 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707. For details, call 708-583-0002 or click here.

Mina Amendola has vivid memories of travelling as a child with her family to their charming ancestral hometown of Altomonte, Cosenza in Calabria. In those early journeys, the die was cast.

“I always felt connected to Italy, and I knew that I wanted to spend my career helping others make those same connections,” the Midwest Director of Sales and Marketing for Perillo Tours explains.

As the public face of the Italian Government Travel Office for more than two decades, she dedicated herself to building bridges between the USA and the land of her ancestors. Through her work, she had plenty of opportunity to interact with the family that has been proudly running Perillo Tours for the last 75 years. 

Amendola’s name has become synonymous with promoting Italy in the USA. The only company she was willing to associate her name with was Perillo Tours. 

“Italy is synonymous with warmth and family, and Perillo definitely gives you that warm family feeling as the leading tour operator to Italy.”

“They’re a fantastic family and I love the fact that the fourth generation is now getting involved and continuing that legacy,” she says. “I’m enthusiastic about sharing their story and their services with the Midwest.”

The company’s bread and butter is their longstanding relationships with local travel agents, who in turn offer Perillo’s services to their own customers. Amendola continues to strengthen those relationships in the Midwest.

“There’s a peace of mind when you book a trip through Perillo,” Amendola explains. “ We offer 24-hour emergency service abroad. We’ve been in business 

for so long that everybody knows us and will perform above and beyond for Perillo customers.”

“We offer A to Z Italy (through Italy Vacations)!” Amendola enthuses. “I’m particularly excited about introducing this option to the Midwest, as we just launched a new online booking system for custom travel.” Perillo can help groups customize tours to anywhere in the world.

She also sings the praises of Perillo’s Hawaii tour after experiencing it firsthand. “I went to Hawaii through Perillo recently and I was blown away,” Amendola reports. “The value and what you are getting in this luxury vacation is incredible with a la carte meals at five-star restaurants and a true authentic Hawaiian experience with Italian flare”.

Perillo’s new product this year will be Spain. “It’s an exceptional product at an exceptional value, just like everything else that Perillo has to offer.”

Mina can be reached directly at mina@perillotours.com 

For more information about Perillo Tours, click here.

A 45-year veteran of the industry, Caporale grew up on Taylor Street in Chicago and moved with his family to Elmwood Park in 1963. He graduated from St. Mel High School and attended Triton College for two years, completing his undergraduate career with a degree in marketing from Northern Illinois University in 1971.

Seeking work in sales after graduating, he faced a tight market. Fate took a turn for the better when he met the owner of DeMoon Realty, who encouraged him to join the firm. He worked for DeMoon realty for more than a decade before opening his my own office in Elmwood in 1983.

“In real estate, you earn what you’re worth rather than what the job is worth,” he shares. “The harder you work, the more you can earn.”

Though his office is in Elmwood Park, Caporale is licensed to sell throughout the state and has had listings that have ranged from the Wisconsin border to DeKalb to Northwest Indiana. “Realtors have to be self-motivated,” he explains. “You have to like working with people and talking with people you’ve just met. Business won’t come to you, you have to go out and get it.”

Caporale is involved with a host of community and charitable organizations, including the Montclare Elmwood Park Lions Club and Kiwanis Club, the Knights of Columbus Council #537 and the Columbian Club of Chicago. He is the treasurer at Casa Italia, a director of the Grand Corridor Chamber of Commerce and a member of a bocce league in Elmwood Park.

Caporale Realty Group is located 7646 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park. For details, call 708-456-1919 or visit http://caporalerealty.com.

by Michael Solarz

Here is proof that what goes around comes around.

For nearly three decades, Bill Conforti made 3066 to 3070 N. Clybourn Ave. the home of Siding-1, Windows-1, and Cobblestone Development.

After Siding-1, Windows-1, was sold in 2012, the property was redeveloped in 2015 and is now the new showroom and headquarters of Cobblestone Development.

Conforti’s Cobblestone Development is focused in two areas: exterior home improvement such as windows, siding, porches, and decks. Also, renovations including kitchen, baths, basements, and additions are offered. Bill also offers his Mission Statement: “Cobblestone Development, Inc. is Chicagoland’s premier provider of quality products and services to ensure our customers receive the finest improvements to the interior and exterior of their homes.”

Conforti said ”what really makes us unique is our 30 year track record of thousands of satisfied customers and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.” The majority of our business comes from previous customers and referrals.

Along the way, Conforti received many commendations such as: “The Big 50” Award (from Remodeling Magazine that honors the nation’s Top 50 remodeling firms), and the “Top 500” Award (by Qualified Remodelers Magazine which identifies the best contractors across the county). Bill’s company was given the “Honor of Excellence” from the City of Chicago which designated an honorary day on June 16,(?). Additionally, Bill Conforti has been featured in many industry publications.

In 2011, Conforti was awarded his own street in Chicago. Oakley Avenue at the intersection of Clybourn is now the “Honorary Bill Conforti Way.”

“Yes,” Conforti smiled, “I always wanted to have my own way.”

Visit Bill at 3066 N. Clybourn Ave. at the “Honorary Bill Conforti Way” or call (773) 661-0606. For more information visit www.CobblestoneDevelopment.com.