Monday,
July 16, 2007
Obit: Antonio L. Valli,
81: Post WWII Immigrant, Owner of Rivera Italian Imported Foods in
The
ANNOTICO Report
It
is a life of achievement and a romantic love story.
Obituaries
By
Trevor Jensen
Tribune staff reporter
July 16, 2007
Antonio L. Valli came to Chicago from Italy after
World War II and toiled for years pressing clothes before opening an Italian
food store on North Harlem Avenue that offered then-exotic items such as capicolla and Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese.
The former owner of Riviera Italian Imported Foods, Mr. Valli,
81, died of complications from leukemia on Monday, July 9, in
A native of Marano in the
With a co-worker at HSM, Matteo Evola, he hatched a
plan to open agrocery store. Evola
had some connections in the business and picked up tips from them, while Mr. Valli spent a couple years working part time for a sausage
maker to learn that skill.
Evola and Mr. Matteo opened
Italians were in the midst of a migration to
The store wasn't a sure bet; "They had no marketing analysis," his
daughter said with a laugh. But stocked with an array of imported prosciutto, capicolla and mortadella, and many types of pastas, salads and olive
oils,
"He imported a lot of cold cuts that no one [in
Mr. Valli and Evola sold
the business in 1991. It remains a well-known stop for imported foods and
sandwiches.
As a teenager in
He fell in love with Rosina Scola, who lived on his street in Marano. Her mother didn't approve of the romance, and they
communicated by tucking love notes in between bricks of buildings on their
street, Harry Lowrance said.
Scola's father was a
To the shock of his superiors -- good jobs were scarce in
Rosina Valli died in 1999, also of complications from
leukemia, according to her daughter.
Working nights and weekends as a musician when he came to the
"He enjoyed life," Pigoni said.
Mr. Valli is also survived by three grandchildren.
Services have been held.
ttjensen@tribune.com
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