Vincent Palazzolo

March 5, 1933 - September 2, 2021

Vincent Palazzolo, age 88, of Elburn, IL, passed peacefully on September 2nd, 2021 surrounded by his loving family.  He was a devoted husband, father, brother and grandfather as well as a strong-faith parishioner of St. Gall’s Church. Vincent’s story is a classic American history story.  He was born on March 5th, 1933 on the island of Sicily, Italy in a small town named Cinisi.  He watched as Patton moved through the island during WWII.  However, Vincent had dreams of America.  He arrived at Ellis Island with nothing to his name in 1953 and immediately began working at Salerno’s Cookies by day and Walgreens soda fountain at night. In 1956 he opened up his first pizzeria located at 4318 W Madison St. In Chicago.  In addition to his restaurants, he owned and operated an Ace Hardware in Lombard, IL. from 1969-1974.  He returned to Sicily in 1957 to marry the love of his life, Anna. Now with a wife and a family and after owning a string of pizzerias, Vince wanted to move out of the city and raise his family in the quiet area of the suburbs.  His strong business sense and work ethic never wavered.  He found a restaurant that was for sale named Kendall’s Ranch.  He purchased it with a handshake deal from the bank and opened Sorrento’s Ranch on IL-64 in Maple Park, IL.  His motto, “I’d rather make a nickel everyday than a dime to stay open longer.’  He did just that.  Sorrento’s Restaurant has now been open for 47 years with Vince at the helm, working six days a week well into his eighties.  Whether behind the bar or conversing with customers at their tables, his ability to connect made all patrons feel like family. Vincent’s businesses weren’t his greatest success though.  His family was.  He cherished Monday night dinners with his family.  Yet, his door was always open to anyone who was alone and wanted fun conversation and a warm meal.   He enjoyed teaching his family about two of his favorite hobbies:  investing in the stock market and horse racing.  His love for horse racing was so strong that he owned many horses including his most successful horse, Fort Bent (“he’s no slouch”).  In his later years, he enjoyed retreating to his home in Cape Coral, FL to be around friends and family or take a cruise with his wife and friends. He is survived by his wife of 64 years,  Anna, nee Talluto, his children, Josephine (John) Richards, Frank (Sherry) Palazzolo, Lina (Ed Slattery) Royer, Anita (Kevin) Nenonen, Christina (Daniel) Marotta, his brother Mario, 10 grandchildren, six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Francesco and Giuseppina Palazzolo, seven siblings, grandson Michael Joseph Palazzolo and grandson Tyler Bennett Royer. Visitation will be held at Yurs Funeral Home 1771 W. State Street, Geneva, IL 60134,(Rte 38) on Monday, September 6th from 3 pm – 7 pm. Funeral mass will be held at St. Gall’s Catholic Church in Elburn, IL on Tuesday, September 7th at 11 am. Entombment will be held at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, IL immediately following the mass. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or to the American Heart Association.Guest BookShareEmailPrint