HR0750 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0750 LRB103 40490 ECR 72900 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to hear of the passing of Franchesco "Frank" Salamone, owner and cofounder of Franchesco's Ristorante in Rockford, who passed away on January 2, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Frank Salamone was born in Aragon, Sicily on February 4, 1929; he was raised in a stone house lacking electricity or running water; from a young age, after the death of his mother and due to his being the oldest child, he assumed the role of family protector, a virtue he carried throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, Frank Salamone married Anna Russo Introito in Sicily on August 11, 1956; together, they had three children, Benny, Charlie, and Toni; and

WHEREAS, After working at a coal mine in England for a time, Frank Salamone immigrated with his family to the United States in 1966; he worked hard to provide for his family, often working multiple jobs in pursuit of the American Dream; and

WHEREAS, Frank Salamone possessed a strong entrepreneurial spirit and opened his first business, a grocery store, with his brother in 1969; on the 20th anniversary of his family moving to the U.S., he opened the first Franchesco's Ristorante with his sons on South Perryville Road in Rockford on October 10, 1986; and

WHEREAS, Frank Salamone's family played an integral role in the family business for many years; while he managed the pizzas, his son, Benny, worked at the bar and the front of the house, his son, Charlie, ran the kitchen, and his daughter, Toni, oversaw the dining room; and

WHEREAS, Eventually, Frank Salamone began to slow down, and his children pursued new endeavors; he sold the building where the original Francesco's Ristorante stood in 2008, and with the help of new business partners, he built a new location on Spring Creek Road where Francesco's Ristorante continues operating to this day; and

WHEREAS, Even in the later years of his life, Frank Salamone could be found dressed to perfection and greeting friends, family, and guests in the restaurant dining room, living his life in accordance with his favorite Italian expression "la famiglia e tutto", which translates to "family is everything"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Franchesco "Frank" Salamone and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Frank Salamone as an expression of our deepest sympathy.