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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to hear of the passing of
4Franchesco "Frank" Salamone, owner and cofounder of
5Franchesco's Ristorante in Rockford, who passed away on
6January 2, 2024; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Frank Salamone was born in Aragon, Sicily on
8February 4, 1929; he was raised in a stone house lacking
9electricity or running water; from a young age, after the
10death of his mother and due to his being the oldest child, he
11assumed the role of family protector, a virtue he carried
12throughout his life; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Frank Salamone married Anna Russo Introito in
14Sicily on August 11, 1956; together, they had three children,
15Benny, Charlie, and Toni; and
 
16    WHEREAS, After working at a coal mine in England for a
17time, Frank Salamone immigrated with his family to the United
18States in 1966; he worked hard to provide for his family, often
19working multiple jobs in pursuit of the American Dream; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Frank Salamone possessed a strong entrepreneurial
21spirit and opened his first business, a grocery store, with

 

 

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1his brother in 1969; on the 20th anniversary of his family
2moving to the U.S., he opened the first Franchesco's
3Ristorante with his sons on South Perryville Road in Rockford
4on October 10, 1986; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Frank Salamone's family played an integral role
6in the family business for many years; while he managed the
7pizzas, his son, Benny, worked at the bar and the front of the
8house, his son, Charlie, ran the kitchen, and his daughter,
9Toni, oversaw the dining room; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Eventually, Frank Salamone began to slow down,
11and his children pursued new endeavors; he sold the building
12where the original Francesco's Ristorante stood in 2008, and
13with the help of new business partners, he built a new location
14on Spring Creek Road where Francesco's Ristorante continues
15operating to this day; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Even in the later years of his life, Frank
17Salamone could be found dressed to perfection and greeting
18friends, family, and guests in the restaurant dining room,
19living his life in accordance with his favorite Italian
20expression "la famiglia e tutto", which translates to "family
21is everything"; therefore, be it
 
22    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE

 

 

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1HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2we mourn the passing of Franchesco "Frank" Salamone and extend
3our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who
4knew and loved him; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Frank Salamone as an expression of
7our deepest sympathy.