Help With Info On Two Alfano Guys

[cavita]

Pietro “John” Alfano was threatened by an unknown assailant or assailants when he entered his restaurant, The Belvidere Gardens Restaurant, 119 North State Street, Belvidere, Illinois at 10:30 a.m. on August 7, 1978. He was poked in the back with a gun and had his eyes covered as he was shoved out the door. Soon after the restaurant went up in flames to the tune of $250,000 in damages. Initially, fire investigators deemed the fire arson but it was suspicious because Alfano was under investigation and ultimately charged with seven counts that he filed fraudulent Retailers Occupation Tax Returns between March 27, 1978 and November 6, 1978 totaling $33,254 of under-reported sales. Two other counts charged he committed perjury by filing inaccurate gross income figures. Illinois Department of Revenue special agent Gilbert Scheller stated his attention was attracted to Alfano’s restaurant because the state was investigating nine restaurants at the time operated by persons with the last name Alfano.
He was also charged with aggravated arson in relation to the fire. He was convicted in November 1979 and sentenced to six years in federal prison with four years probation but he appealed and got out on bond. The arson charges were dismissed when Dennis Michaelson, a prosecution witness thought to be an arson expert, fled the country and was believed to be in Greece. Michaelson perjured himself concerning his qualifications and lied about his credentials which were later found to be false.

Now, this Pietro “John” Alfano was born about 1926 and immigrated to Chicago in 1962 where he worked in a factory until it closed. He then moved to Belvidere, Illinois and opened the restaurant in 1977. His wife was named Maria and his son Anthony was born about 1955. This Alfano and his family disappeared from Belvidere and I have no idea where he wound up. Now, in 1971 there was a Salvatore Alfano, born about 1933, living in Belvidere and running the Villa Pizza restaurant at 138 North State Street. I suspect that Salvatore and Pietro were related somehow and that both were related to THE Pietro Alfano of the Oregon, Illinois Pizza Connection fame that had lived for a time in Belvidere, Illinois and ran a pizzeria there and Rockford before moving to Oregon, Illinois. I also have no idea what happened to this Salvatore Alfano.

Anyone have any info as to where these two Alfano guys ended up?

[PolackTony]

From my info, the Pietro Alfano who was in Belvidere in the late 70s (address at 119 N State in Belvidere) was born 1927/05/13 and from Rende/Marano Marchesato, Cosenza. He immigrated to Chicago in 1961 and after the events you mention here, he returned to suburban Chicago, living in Norridge. He was living in Schiller Park when he died in 2007, see obit below:



There was also a Pietro Santo Alfano from Marano Marchesato, born in 1928, who immigrated to Chicago in the same period. He died in 2003 in SW suburban Lockport. And then there was a Pietro Alfano (son of Procopio Alfano) born in 1928 in Cinisi who immigrated to Chicago in this period also; he later moved to Ottawa, IL, where he died in 2020 (I forget at the moment if this guy was the same one from the Pizza Connection case or if he was a cousin?).

Salvatore Alfano was running the Villa Pizzeria on State St in Belvidere by 1970, at least. As of 2020, he was still associated with that address. Not sure where he was born. If he was related to the Pietro Alfano above, then he was obviously unrelated to the Alfanos from Cinisi.

[cavita]

From my info, the Pietro Alfano who was in Belvidere in the late 70s (address at 119 N State in Belvidere) was born 1927/05/13 and from Rende/Marano Marchesato, Cosenza. He immigrated to Chicago in 1961 and after the events you mention here, he returned to suburban Chicago, living in Norridge. He was living in Schiller Park when he died in 2007, see obit below:



There was also a Pietro Santo Alfano from Marano Marchesato, born in 1928, who immigrated to Chicago in the same period. He died in 2003 in SW suburban Lockport. And then there was a Pietro Alfano (son of Procopio Alfano) born in 1928 in Cinisi who immigrated to Chicago in this period also; he later moved to Ottawa, IL, where he died in 2020 (I forget at the moment if this guy was the same one from the Pizza Connection case or if he was a cousin?).

Salvatore Alfano was running the Villa Pizzeria on State St in Belvidere by 1970, at least. As of 2020, he was still associated with that address. Not sure where he was born. If he was related to the Pietro Alfano above, then he was obviously unrelated to the Alfanos from Cinisi.

Excellent info my friend, I appreciate it! I only knew of two separate Alfano families in the Rockford area- one from Cinisi and the other from Sambuca. This one from Marano Marchesato is new to me. I knew Procopio Alfano from Ottawa who was the grandson of the Procopio you mentioned above. They were cousins of the Pietro Alfano from Oregon and I have a suspicion that Salvatore who was running the Villa Pizza was a brother perhaps of the Pietro from Oregon.

[cavita]

From my info, the Pietro Alfano who was in Belvidere in the late 70s (address at 119 N State in Belvidere) was born 1927/05/13 and from Rende/Marano Marchesato, Cosenza. He immigrated to Chicago in 1961 and after the events you mention here, he returned to suburban Chicago, living in Norridge. He was living in Schiller Park when he died in 2007, see obit below:



There was also a Pietro Santo Alfano from Marano Marchesato, born in 1928, who immigrated to Chicago in the same period. He died in 2003 in SW suburban Lockport. And then there was a Pietro Alfano (son of Procopio Alfano) born in 1928 in Cinisi who immigrated to Chicago in this period also; he later moved to Ottawa, IL, where he died in 2020 (I forget at the moment if this guy was the same one from the Pizza Connection case or if he was a cousin?).

Salvatore Alfano was running the Villa Pizzeria on State St in Belvidere by 1970, at least. As of 2020, he was still associated with that address. Not sure where he was born. If he was related to the Pietro Alfano above, then he was obviously unrelated to the Alfanos from Cinisi.

Excellent info my friend, I appreciate it! I only knew of two separate Alfano families in the Rockford area- one from Cinisi and the other from Sambuca. This one from Marano Marchesato is new to me. I knew Procopio Alfano from Ottawa who was the grandson of the Procopio you mentioned above. They were cousins of the Pietro Alfano from Oregon and I have a suspicion that Salvatore who was running the Villa Pizza was a brother perhaps of the Pietro from Oregon.

Additionally, the following info was from either the Belvidere City Directory or the newspaper:

1965
Alfano’s Pizza, 131 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Peter & Christine Alfano. THE Pietro Alfano from the Pizza Connection
1967
Sam and Joe’s Pizza, 131 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Sam Vitale & Joe Cuccinella
Maria’s Pizza, 138 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Lorenzo Palazzolo (born 8/15/1929)
1968
Villa Pizza, 138 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Joe & Maria Alfano
Sam’s Pizza, 105 Buchanan Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Sam & Augustina Vitale
Maria’s Pizza, 132 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Lorenzo Palazzolo
1971
Villa Pizza, 138 N. State Street., Belvidere, Illinois- Salvatore Alfano
1973
Villa Pizza, Inc. 138 N. State St., Salvatore Alfano and Marjorie F. Cottini correspondent Phil A. Nicolosi
1974
Lucia’s Pizza, Belvidere, Illinois- Lorenzo & Santina Palazzolo (Santina 5/19/1937-8/4/1998)
1976
119 N. State St., Belvidere Lorenzo Palazzolo auctioned off supplies from a beauty shop there.
1979
Belvidere Gardens Restaurant, Pietro “John” Alfano b. 5/13/1927
1984
Maria’s Pizza, 132 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Lorenzo Palazzolo
Villa Pizza, 138 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Joe Alfano
1996
Maria’s Pizza, 132 N. State Street – Frank Palazzolo b. 1968
1999
January- Salvatore Palazzolo sold the store at 132 N. State Street to Salvatore DiGiacomo of Rockford.
2002
Maria’s Pizza, 132 N. State Street, Belvidere, Illinois- Palazzolo Family
2008
121 N. State Street was sold by Salvatore and Francesco Palazzolo to Rosa Martinez for $150,000