Profiles

In 1933, a pair of young Sicilian brothers — the oldest not even 21 — decided to start a business, unaware they’d create a legacy as well, and touch countless Italian Americans in the Chicago area. Vincent and Joseph Lucania opened their first funeral home in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood at 409 W. North Ave. The business grew, and Vincent moved west in the 1950s, following the migration of other Italian Americans to the area. He opened Montclair-Lucania Funeral Home’s current location at 6901 W. Belmont Ave. in 1957, and there it stayed. The venerable funeral home marked its 80th …

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 …

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 …

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.

Anthony DeLuca has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since March 2008. His committee assignments include Appropriations – Public Safety; Business Occupational Licenses; Cities and Villages (chairman); Insurance; Mass Transit; Business Growth and Incentives; Public Safety – Police and Fire (vice chairman); and Tollway Oversight. DeLuca previously served as mayor of Chicago Heights, and president and member of the Bloom Township High School District 206 Board of Education. In 2010, the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce counted him among the Outstanding Leaders Under 40, the Cook County Farm Bureau bestowed a Friend of Agriculture Award upon him, and the …

Dr. James DiScipio has served as mayor of LaGrange Park since 2005. A general dentist with a practice in LaGrange Park, he has lived in the community for 39 years. He has served as a West Central Municipal Conference Executive Committee member from 2005 to the present, West Central Municipal Conference vice president from 2008 to the present, District 102 School Board member from 1999 to 2007, Zoning Board member from 2000 to 2005, Friends of the Park Committee chairman from 1997 to 1999, Parks and Recreation commissioner from 1991 to 1997, Board of Commissioners vice president from 1994 to …

Bob Larsen has served as commissioner of the DuPage County Board for the 6th District since 2010. He serves on the Health and Human Services (chairman), Environmental, Finance, Intergovernmental, Judicial & Public Safety, Public Works, and Technology committees. A partner in the law firm Cunningham, Meyer and Vedrine, he received the American Bar Association’s Award for Professional Merit. Commissioner Larsen is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve currently assigned to Reserve Judge Advocate Command Support Branch, Legal Services Support Section, Marine Corps Mobilization Command. He served on active duty during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and has earned …