Rockford restauranteur Frank Salamone turned his dreams into reality

Benny Salamone said nothing made his father, Frank, happier than being around family.

"Nothing else mattered to him," he said. "He cared about people, and he loved life like no man I've ever seen."

Frank Salamone, the patriarch of Franchesco's Ristorante and other Rockford area restaurants, died Jan. 2. He was 94.

Frank Salamone, of Cherry Valley, was born and raised in Sicily and traveled to England to work in the coal mines to earn money to move his family to the "land of opportunity." The Salamone family arrived by boat in 1966 in New York City.

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Benny said he and his brother, Charlie, worked at restaurants in Rockford and Whitewater, Wisconsin, before the family opened the original Franchesco’s Pizzeria in 1986 in Cherry Valley.

The restaurant's pizza and pasta menu was based off Frank's and his wife, Anna, old Sicilian recipes.

Franchesco’s Pizzeria closed in 2008, and Franchesco’s Ristorante opened soon afterward at 7128 Spring Creek Road with an expanded menu that included steak, seafood and wine.

Benny said his father was the epitome of hard work.

"Whatever needed to be done, he would do it," he said.

Wendy Salamone said there is a reason why so many know her father-in-law as the face of Franchesco's.

"He dressed to the nines everyday," she said, "and he had such respect for preople. He greeted everyone with a smile and responded to people by their name. It says a lot when a person remembers you."

Maria Caruana said she and her family also hail from Sicily and have known the Salamones for over 50 years.

"When you come to a new country, you reach out to people that you know," she said. "The whole family are the type of people who will be there when you need them."

She also said Frank Salamone was proud of his hertiage, family and business.

"When he did something, he did it the best way that he could. He was just a very warm person."

Local musician Harlan Jefferson said he used to perform Friday nights at the old Franchesco's. He described Frank as a friend and role model.

"He was a role model for Rockford entrepreneurs," he said. "Frank was a dreamer. He put in the hard work and made it happen. He was always walking around the restaurant with a smile on his face."

Arrangements are being provided by Fitzgerald Funeral Home. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at St. Anthony Church. Burial will be at Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford restauranteur Frank Salamone died Jan. 2. He was 94.