IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION congratulating the Italian Gardens restaurant upon the occasion of its 75th anniversary.
Intro
RESOLUTION # 13377, October 2, 2000
INTRODUCED BY Victor E. Callahan and Terry Young, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, in 1925 the late John Bondon, with his nephew by marriage Frank Lipari, opened the Italian Gardens restaurant at 13th and Walnut in Kansas City, Missouri; and,
WHEREAS, they later moved the restaurant to a former bank building at 1531 Grand Avenue in Kansas City, where the vault became the private dining room and silverware was stored in cubbyholes designed for deposit slips and blank checks; and,
WHEREAS, in 1933 the restaurant moved to its current location at 1110 Baltimore in Kansas City, with the help of a $1,500.00 loan from one of its waitresses; and,
WHEREAS, at that time, Mr. Bondon and Mr. Lipari had one new pair of shoes between them and whoever worked the front of the restaurant got to wear them; and,
WHEREAS, during World War II, the name of the restaurant was temporarily changed to "The Gardens" because of anti-Italian sentiment, and the restaurant was open only for dinner because much of the staff was serving in the war; and,
WHEREAS, over the years, the Italian Gardens has served a diverse group of patrons, including Joe DiMaggio, Katheryn Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, and famed outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow; and,
WHEREAS, singer Frankie Avalon once sought shelter at the restaurant when 500 frenzied fans were chasing him down the street, and actor Anthony Quinn held his own birthday party there when he was in town for a movie premiere; and,
WHEREAS, the restaurant's large community table became a gathering place for traveling salesmen, artists, athletes, and others who didn't want to eat alone; and,
WHEREAS, former Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board Commissioner Carl DiCapo filled in as a cashier one night in 1953, stayed on until his retirement in 1998, and now serves as chairman emeritus of the board for Italian Gardens; and,
WHEREAS, the elegantly-coiffed Chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority, John Bondon, now serves as the president of the restaurant company; and,
WHEREAS, John is proud of the family members he has followed into the business, including his great uncle, the first John Bondon, his grandmother, Teresa Bondon, and his father, Ralph Bondon; and,
WHEREAS, the restaurant remains a Bondon family affair, with John's mother, Carolyn Berbiglia working the front door, John's wife Vicki, running The Big Salami deli, and their daughter, Bianca Bondon-Sullivan serving as office manager and overseeing the restaurant's computerized operations; and,
WHEREAS, Bianca represents the fourth generation of the Bondon family who have worked at the restaurant, a most notable distinction; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby extends to the Italian Gardens Restaurant and its president John Bondon, the heartiest of congratulations upon the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the opening of their restaurant in downtown Kansas City, and every good wish for continued success in the future.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________ ___________________________________
County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution #13377 of October 2, 2000 was duly passed on ____________October 2___________________, 2000 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ________8_________ Nays ______0_______
Abstaining _____0________ Absent _____1_______
______________________ _____________________________________
Date Mary Jo Brogoto, Clerk of Legislature