Profiles

Walk into Tony Morizzo’s new business in Hoffman Estates, and you’ll encounter abundant sunlight flooding an impeccably appointed lobby as a glass-enclosed fireplace blazes away. It’s the kind of setting you might mistake for an inviting-yet-dignified inn, unless you read the sign out front. The Morizzo Funeral Home is a true milestone for Tony, representing the life’s work of a man who has built a family business based on four simple-yet-solid cornerstones: family, friendship, relationships and giving back. His brother Dan and son Ross join him in the third-generation enterprise. Morizzo’s new facility opened in November after 11 months of …

It’s been 50-plus years since Regal Seating Company starting manufacturing its custom, made-to-order commercial bar stools and chairs. And that kind of longevity extends not only across years and generations, but also into the very social fabric of the Chicago area’s most vibrant restaurants and taverns. Whether you’ve frequented Lou Malnati’s Gold Coast Chicago location, Beer House Chicago in Lombard, or Stout Barrel House and Galley on the Near North Side, you’ve seen the handiwork of Regal and its president, Jerry Saviano. On a grander scale, Regal has manufactured the seating for all the restaurants in the ever-expanding Buona Beef …

As manufactured goods go, you can’t get more basic than a corrugated cardboard box. It’s not sexy, especially not compared to an iPhone or a laptop. But no matter how far technology advances, you have to ship that trinket in something. So think of it this way. No box? No computer. No smartphone. No mail-order gifts. No shipments. No flow of commerce. There’s no alternative as economical or ecological. “You can’t think of a more green business,” says Ron Lemar, president of Rex Carton Co. “We’ve been recycling for 50 years. And the paper industry grows more trees than just …

A strong entrepreneurial spirit, an emphasis on creativity, professionalism and a willingness to utilize best practices from all different types of industries are characteristics prized by Dominic M. Sergi, chief executive officer of REX Electric and Technologies LLC. These traits, along with the cornerstones of mutual respect and cooperation for all who interface with the company, and a commitment to good citizenship, have powered the success of REX, which has grown to be one of the largest providers of electrical and technology services in the Midwest. Sergi built the business from a modest family company started by his uncle in …

The Salerno family is entering its 100th full year of operation in the funeral industry, a major milestone by anyone’s standards. But they’ve also kept pace with the times. With its neoclassic atrium crowned by a striking peaked skylight, Salerno’s Rosedale Chapels in Roselle defies any dreary funeral home stereotype, as does the family’s Galewood Chapels on Harlem near North in Chicago. But ever since the first parlor opened its doors a century ago, Rosario D. Salerno established a tradition of compassionate service that his descendants honor with pride. “We still do business the way he did,” says Joe Salerno, …

Everyday conveniences have changed so much over the last couple of generations, including many that we take for granted, but depend on night and day. Nowhere is this truer than in heating and cooling, where Season Comfort owner Vito Palella has a unique double distinction. He stays on top of the latest advances in his field, yet has more than 30 years experience in helping customers spend smart now and save for years to come. “Because the technology has changed so much over the years, we can almost always help people save money and energy,” says Palella, a native of …

When Dominic Verlotta goes to work at Speed-O-Lite Printing Center in Franklin Park, he carries more than a mental list of upcoming print jobs. Working 60-plus hours a week, he lives out the lessons passed down by his Italian parents, who hailed from the Campania region. “When you’re family, you’re really family,” says Verlotta, who’s been in the printing business since 1975. “You help each other out, and that’s what it’s all about.” Others invoke family in the abstract, but for Verlotta, it’s as close as the front counter. His wife of 29 years, Marketta, handles a wide array of …

As the child of Italian-American parents of Calabrese descent, Dan Sergi grew up in Villa Park watching his folks not only preach the gospel of hard work, but live it as well. He remembers working electrical jobs from an early age with his dad, who rarely took vacations or time off while supporting his family of six. “The most important thing they taught us was to live your life with integrity,” says Sergi, president and CEO of Wine Sergi Insurance in Naperville. “You witnessed it every day in what they did.” You also can see it in Sergi’s quest to …

Franco A. Coladipietro has served as village president of Bloomingdale since 2013. He recently retired as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, having served in that capacity since 2005. Coladipietro joined the law firm of Amari & Locallo in 1995, and is the managing partner of the firm’s Bloomingdale office. His community involvement includes the DuPage County Area Project; Glen Oaks Hospital Foundation; and the Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Roselle, Glendale Heights and Wheaton chambers of commerce. He has been honored as a Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, Young Lawyer of the Year …

John D’Amico has served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2004. Committee assignments include Consumer Protection; Labor and Commerce; Transportation – Vehicles and Safety (chairman); and Veterans’ Affairs. D’Amico is a member of the Edgebrook Community Association; St. Edwards Athletic Advisory Committee; City Club of Chicago; Mayfair Lions Club; Queen of All Saints Men’s Club; and the Edgebrook-Sauganash Athletic Association. He joined the Chicago Water Department in 1982 and now serves as an assistant superintendent.