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HISTORY OF THE OLD ITALIAN GRILL/SPORTS BAR AND PEZZETTI'S SALOON
The Pezzetti Family owned and ran the Old Italian Grill/Sports Bar/The Uptown Garden from about 1934 - 1986. The Pezzetti Family owned and ran the Old Italian Grill since the 1930s. (1934 - 1955) Donald's father, John Joseph Pezzetti, and his brother-in-law Mose Giansante (Donald's Uncle) ran the bar and restaurant. Harold Giansante also helped run it for a time with Donald's father (until 1962). It was renamed The Sports Bar in 1953. In 1962 Don and brother Jimmy took over running the bar. Jimmy later, in the 1970s, took over running it when Don began working at the Sheriff's Department and Jimmy ran it through 1986. It was a family restaurant and bar and many of the Pezzetti family members worked there including Donald's aunt Victoria Pezzetti Aho, who cooked in the kitchen. Supposedly it was called The Uptown Garden for a short time before renaming it The Sports Bar. Donald and Joellyn had an opportunity to buy the connecting buildings and expand the restaurant in the late 1960s but were worried about taking on such a big undertaking, so did not end up expanding the restaurant into a supper club.
This is
in Don's own words: "In the 1930s and 1940s it was called The Old Italian
Grill run by John Pezzetti and Mose Giansanti. The name was changed to The
Sports Bar sometime in the 1950s. In 1962 my brother James and I bought out
Harold Giansante, Mose’s son and ran it as partners. John Pezzetti retired
at the same time. James and I ran it from 1962-1970. Then James Pezzetti ran
it into the 1980s and he sold it to Jim Wasielewski."
In the early 1900s, Donald's Grandfather, Giacomo (James) ran Pezzetti's Saloon and another Saloon before that in Fink Location.
Below are photos of The Old Italian Grill.
Photo of the Sports Bar in the 2000s.
The building was originally Ringsmuth Hardware.
Here is a match book from The Old Italian Grill.
Ads for The Old Italian Grill.
Match book for The Sports Bar.
Pictures from inside The Old Italian Grill/The Sports Bar. Donald in the middle. Not sure who the guys are.
Owner Jimmy Pezzetti, Bartender Ted Finco - Owner Don Pezzetti
These three photo are from books written by Bruce Cox and Dennis Rolando. Check out their great books on the history of this area! Photos Copyright Bruce K. Cox and Dennis Rolando.
Donald's Grandfather James (Giacomo) owned Pezzetti's Saloon (love that name!) in Cemetary Location. 1914- 1921. He bought an acre of land and built a building for the Saloon. He worked in the mines for 13 years. He was a boss in the Sunday Lake, Pike and Brotherton mines from 1888 - 1901. From 1901 - 1914 he ran a saloon in Fink Location.
These are old photos from either across the street or the corner from The Old Italian Grill/The Sports Bar.
My Grandma Pezzetti, about a block down from The Old Italian Grill/The Sports Bar.
I've saved these from many places so if any of these are your photos, please e-mail me and I will give you credit or if you want them removed, I will remove them. Thank you.