SR0597 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0597 LRB097 20183 KXB 65595 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Nello Ferrara, the patriarch of the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, who passed away on February 3, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Nello Ferrara was born in Chicago and grew up in Chicago's Taylor Street neighborhood and attended St. Ignatius College Prep High School; he graduated from DePaul Law School in 1942 and immediately joined the United States Army in counter-intelligence during World War II; he worked in Tokyo after the war as a Japanese war crimes prosecutor; and

WHEREAS, He joined the Ferrara Pan company, founded by his father, Salvatore, in 1947; Salvatore and his brothers-in-law were Italian immigrants who started the business in 1908, making sugar-coated almond "confetti" candies with a special recipe brought over from Italy; and

WHEREAS, After World War II, Nello Ferrara capitalized on the company's signature product, Red Hots, a spicy cinnamon pan candy; he created the legacy Ferrara brands Atomic Fireballs and Lemonheads; under his leadership, Ferrara Pan became a candy company of national prominence; and

WHEREAS, He married Marilyn Bies in January of 1949 and they were married for 63 years; he used to sing "Wind Beneath my Wings" to his wife; his family was the light of his life; they had dinner together every Sunday as a family and he would stand in front of the stove cooking for his grandchildren and kids, making spaghetti and meatballs with gravy and sausage; and

WHEREAS, He was inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame in 1974; in 1975, he received the Kettle Award from Candy Industry Magazine and was named Man of the Year by the National Confectioners Association; he remained chairman of the board at Ferrara Pan into his 90s; and

WHEREAS, He was of the Catholic faith and was made a Knight of Malta in February of 1963 by Pope John XXIII; he was very active and he still played cards at the Ridgemoor Country Club in Harwood Heights twice a week; and

WHEREAS, Nello Ferrara was the father of Serajean (the late John) Alioto, Salvatore II (Andrea), and Nella (William) Davy; the grandfather of Marilyn and Joseph Alioto, Nello II, Alana Ferrara and Lauren (Matthew) Houder, Salvatore (Francesca), William Jr. and Nello Davy; the great-grandfather of Matthew and Charles Houder, and Salvatore Davy (Francesca); the brother of Florence (Adam) Stillo and the late Benita (the late William) Capraro; and the uncle of many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Nello Ferrara; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Nello Ferrara as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.