LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant upon the
occasion of celebrating its 45th year of service to the community of
Blasdell, New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize the
achievements of those individuals and businesses which substantially
contribute to the vitality of their communities and the entire Empire
State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant upon the occasion of celebrating its 45th year
of service to the community of Blasdell, New York; and
WHEREAS, Born in Abruzzi, Italy, on November 8, 1926, Ilio DiPaolo was
an extremely talented wrestler who dreamed of competing professionally
in the United States; in 1949, he left Italy for Venezuela, where he met
the promoter of the wrestling alliance and the Madison Square Garden
arena; soon thereafter, he had a signed contract to wrestle in the
United States and arrived in New York in August 1951; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, after a very successful wrestling career, Ilio
DiPaolo, along with his wife, Ethel, opened a small pizzeria with four
employees, and soon his dream to never be hungry again, as he was in
Italy, was becoming a reality; and
WHEREAS, Their hard work soon paid off and Ilio DiPaolo enlarged the
restaurant putting much emphasis on good food and friendly service; and
WHEREAS, While Ilio DiPaolo passed away in 1995, his legacy lives on
in the continued success of his beloved restaurant which has expanded
over 13 times at its current location to meet the demands of its loyal
customers; and
WHEREAS, The restaurant is decorated with hand-painted Italian murals
of the Bay of Sorrento and Ilio DiPaolo's hometown in Italy; the decor
also celebrates his pro wrestling career; guests will find that the
full-service Ringside lounge documents his career and features celebrity
photos, while the bar features a full selection of martinis and a wine
list with offerings from every region of Italy; and
WHEREAS, The success of Ilio DiPaolo's throughout the years has been
built by the dedicated work of loyal employees that believed in Ilio and
all he stood for; the list of Ilio's past personnel includes many local
political leaders, directors, teachers, lawyers, corporate supervisors
and self-employed entrepreneurs, serving as a testament to the dedicated
work ethic they learned at Ilio's; and
WHEREAS, Many of Ilio DiPaolo's staff of over 100 have been employed
by the restaurant for at least 10 years, some of whom have been employed
for much longer; and
WHEREAS, Today, this wonderful eatery is managed by Ilio DiPaolo's
children, Dennis, Michael and Barbara; however, sadly missed is the love
and laughter of his late daughter, Lisa, and granddaughter, Tara; and
WHEREAS, The third generation, Kristen, Elicia, Jessie and Ilio, are
also working hard at Ilio DiPaolo's to carry on the family tradition of
serving excellent food and providing friendly service unlike anywhere in
Western New York; and
WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly recognize those businesses within the State of New York which
have positively impacted their communities; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant upon the occasion of celebrating its
45th year of service to the community of Blasdell, New York; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant.