John Gerald DeGidio
November 4, 1936 ~ October 22, 2022
Legendary restaurateur, John Gerald DeGidio, 86, passed away on October 22, 2022 surrounded by family.
John was the proud owner of DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar in Saint Paul.
John's family was everything to him and he loved having them near him. He loved making everyone laugh. His loving personality will be missed by many.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Ann; brother, Naldo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Dorothy "Dottie;" children, Thomas (Karen), Anthony (Molly) & Joanne (Jason). John adored his grandchildren, Mike (Tom), Danny, Rob, Josie (Aaron), Jessie, Allie & Zack.
He is survived by his siblings, Gene, Joanne & Jerome.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10AM, Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Church of the Assumption (51 7th Street West, Saint Paul, MN 55102).
****************************************************
W. 7th denizen offered good food, good friends
By Jared Kaufman ~ Saint Paul Pioneer Press ~ October 26, 2022
It didn't matter if he knew you or not: John DeGidio would ask where you had eaten last night.
The second-generation owner of DeGidio's, the classic old-school Italian restaurant on St. Paul's West 7th Street, loved to connect with people about food, said his son Tony DeGidio. He'd drift over to strangers' tables and drop in on their conversations about meals, restaurants, favorite dishes — as if he'd known them forever — and his comic one-liners were unparalleled, too.
DeGidio died Saturday surrounded by family. He was 86.
"He was a larger-than-life kind of guy, probably the funniest man I've ever met in my life," his son-in-law Jason Tschida said. "He had a sense of humor that resonated with everyone from plumbers, electricians, lawyers, politicians."
A generational legacy
John DeGidio was born Nov. 4, 1936, three years after his father, Joe, started what was then called DeGidio's Royal Bar.
The bar opened in 1933, not coincidentally the same year Prohibition ended: Joe had evidently found previous success as a bootlegger under the nickname "Kid Bullets." But the gangster-ish connections fell away as Joe fashioned the place into a bowling alley and gathering place for St. Paul's Italian community.
In fact, John DeGidio's first job at his father's bar, in about 1948, was resetting bowling pins — a task that, before lanes were mechanized, had to be done by hand. John DeGidio bought the business in 1983 and, two years later, replaced the bowling lanes with the full-service restaurant that remains today.
"Just tells you how long he'd been there," Tony DeGidio said. "Generations of people have gone through there in 60 years, obviously, and he knew a lot of those people's kids. And he'd known them as kids!"
John DeGidio married Dottie Walsh in 1961, and about 20 years ago, he handed the business to two of their three children. Now, the restaurant is owned by his daughter Joanne and Tschida, her husband, and Tony DeGidio and his wife, Molly. The fourth generation is involved as well. Even non-family employees tend to stay for many years — a testament, Tony DeGidio said, to his father's caring and personable nature.
"He had his family, obviously, but he also had his restaurant family," Molly DeGidio said. "He took care of a lot of people."
That was John DeGidio, she said: People-focused, food-focused, St. Paul-focused. He "loved West 7th," Molly DeGidio said, and he actually grew up in a side-by-side duplex next to the Mancini family, who own Mancini's restaurant down the street. And he supported organizations including Ronald McDonald House and Little Sisters of the Poor.
"He was the type of person that would take his shirt off his back for someone and he was absolutely brilliant when it came to food," grandson Michael DeGidio said in an email. "He was a true legacy of West 7th."
John DeGidio felt at home in the restaurant, Tschida said. He'd practically grown up there, after all, and thrived on making people laugh and feel just as comfortable as family.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time," Tschida said. "He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
John DeGidio was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ann, and his brother Naldo. He's survived by his wife, Dorothy ("Dottie"), children Thomas (Karen), Tony (Molly) and Joanne (Jason), as well as three siblings and seven grandchildren.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28 at the Church of the Assumption, 51 7th St. W., St. Paul, with visitation beforehand starting at 9 a.m. Funeral arrangements are being handled by O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral and Cremation Services of St. Paul.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time. He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
— Jason Tschida on his father-in-law John DeGidio
November 4, 1936 ~ October 22, 2022
Legendary restaurateur, John Gerald DeGidio, 86, passed away on October 22, 2022 surrounded by family.
John was the proud owner of DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar in Saint Paul.
John's family was everything to him and he loved having them near him. He loved making everyone laugh. His loving personality will be missed by many.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Ann; brother, Naldo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Dorothy "Dottie;" children, Thomas (Karen), Anthony (Molly) & Joanne (Jason). John adored his grandchildren, Mike (Tom), Danny, Rob, Josie (Aaron), Jessie, Allie & Zack.
He is survived by his siblings, Gene, Joanne & Jerome.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10AM, Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Church of the Assumption (51 7th Street West, Saint Paul, MN 55102).
****************************************************
W. 7th denizen offered good food, good friends
By Jared Kaufman ~ Saint Paul Pioneer Press ~ October 26, 2022
It didn't matter if he knew you or not: John DeGidio would ask where you had eaten last night.
The second-generation owner of DeGidio's, the classic old-school Italian restaurant on St. Paul's West 7th Street, loved to connect with people about food, said his son Tony DeGidio. He'd drift over to strangers' tables and drop in on their conversations about meals, restaurants, favorite dishes — as if he'd known them forever — and his comic one-liners were unparalleled, too.
DeGidio died Saturday surrounded by family. He was 86.
"He was a larger-than-life kind of guy, probably the funniest man I've ever met in my life," his son-in-law Jason Tschida said. "He had a sense of humor that resonated with everyone from plumbers, electricians, lawyers, politicians."
A generational legacy
John DeGidio was born Nov. 4, 1936, three years after his father, Joe, started what was then called DeGidio's Royal Bar.
The bar opened in 1933, not coincidentally the same year Prohibition ended: Joe had evidently found previous success as a bootlegger under the nickname "Kid Bullets." But the gangster-ish connections fell away as Joe fashioned the place into a bowling alley and gathering place for St. Paul's Italian community.
In fact, John DeGidio's first job at his father's bar, in about 1948, was resetting bowling pins — a task that, before lanes were mechanized, had to be done by hand. John DeGidio bought the business in 1983 and, two years later, replaced the bowling lanes with the full-service restaurant that remains today.
"Just tells you how long he'd been there," Tony DeGidio said. "Generations of people have gone through there in 60 years, obviously, and he knew a lot of those people's kids. And he'd known them as kids!"
John DeGidio married Dottie Walsh in 1961, and about 20 years ago, he handed the business to two of their three children. Now, the restaurant is owned by his daughter Joanne and Tschida, her husband, and Tony DeGidio and his wife, Molly. The fourth generation is involved as well. Even non-family employees tend to stay for many years — a testament, Tony DeGidio said, to his father's caring and personable nature.
"He had his family, obviously, but he also had his restaurant family," Molly DeGidio said. "He took care of a lot of people."
That was John DeGidio, she said: People-focused, food-focused, St. Paul-focused. He "loved West 7th," Molly DeGidio said, and he actually grew up in a side-by-side duplex next to the Mancini family, who own Mancini's restaurant down the street. And he supported organizations including Ronald McDonald House and Little Sisters of the Poor.
"He was the type of person that would take his shirt off his back for someone and he was absolutely brilliant when it came to food," grandson Michael DeGidio said in an email. "He was a true legacy of West 7th."
John DeGidio felt at home in the restaurant, Tschida said. He'd practically grown up there, after all, and thrived on making people laugh and feel just as comfortable as family.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time," Tschida said. "He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
John DeGidio was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ann, and his brother Naldo. He's survived by his wife, Dorothy ("Dottie"), children Thomas (Karen), Tony (Molly) and Joanne (Jason), as well as three siblings and seven grandchildren.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28 at the Church of the Assumption, 51 7th St. W., St. Paul, with visitation beforehand starting at 9 a.m. Funeral arrangements are being handled by O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral and Cremation Services of St. Paul.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time. He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
— Jason Tschida on his father-in-law John DeGidio
John Gerald DeGidio
November 4, 1936 ~ October 22, 2022
Legendary restaurateur, John Gerald DeGidio, 86, passed away on October 22, 2022 surrounded by family.
John was the proud owner of DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar in Saint Paul.
John's family was everything to him and he loved having them near him. He loved making everyone laugh. His loving personality will be missed by many.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Ann; brother, Naldo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Dorothy "Dottie;" children, Thomas (Karen), Anthony (Molly) & Joanne (Jason). John adored his grandchildren, Mike (Tom), Danny, Rob, Josie (Aaron), Jessie, Allie & Zack.
He is survived by his siblings, Gene, Joanne & Jerome.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10AM, Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Church of the Assumption (51 7th Street West, Saint Paul, MN 55102).
****************************************************
W. 7th denizen offered good food, good friends
By Jared Kaufman ~ Saint Paul Pioneer Press ~ October 26, 2022
It didn't matter if he knew you or not: John DeGidio would ask where you had eaten last night.
The second-generation owner of DeGidio's, the classic old-school Italian restaurant on St. Paul's West 7th Street, loved to connect with people about food, said his son Tony DeGidio. He'd drift over to strangers' tables and drop in on their conversations about meals, restaurants, favorite dishes — as if he'd known them forever — and his comic one-liners were unparalleled, too.
DeGidio died Saturday surrounded by family. He was 86.
"He was a larger-than-life kind of guy, probably the funniest man I've ever met in my life," his son-in-law Jason Tschida said. "He had a sense of humor that resonated with everyone from plumbers, electricians, lawyers, politicians."
A generational legacy
John DeGidio was born Nov. 4, 1936, three years after his father, Joe, started what was then called DeGidio's Royal Bar.
The bar opened in 1933, not coincidentally the same year Prohibition ended: Joe had evidently found previous success as a bootlegger under the nickname "Kid Bullets." But the gangster-ish connections fell away as Joe fashioned the place into a bowling alley and gathering place for St. Paul's Italian community.
In fact, John DeGidio's first job at his father's bar, in about 1948, was resetting bowling pins — a task that, before lanes were mechanized, had to be done by hand. John DeGidio bought the business in 1983 and, two years later, replaced the bowling lanes with the full-service restaurant that remains today.
"Just tells you how long he'd been there," Tony DeGidio said. "Generations of people have gone through there in 60 years, obviously, and he knew a lot of those people's kids. And he'd known them as kids!"
John DeGidio married Dottie Walsh in 1961, and about 20 years ago, he handed the business to two of their three children. Now, the restaurant is owned by his daughter Joanne and Tschida, her husband, and Tony DeGidio and his wife, Molly. The fourth generation is involved as well. Even non-family employees tend to stay for many years — a testament, Tony DeGidio said, to his father's caring and personable nature.
"He had his family, obviously, but he also had his restaurant family," Molly DeGidio said. "He took care of a lot of people."
That was John DeGidio, she said: People-focused, food-focused, St. Paul-focused. He "loved West 7th," Molly DeGidio said, and he actually grew up in a side-by-side duplex next to the Mancini family, who own Mancini's restaurant down the street. And he supported organizations including Ronald McDonald House and Little Sisters of the Poor.
"He was the type of person that would take his shirt off his back for someone and he was absolutely brilliant when it came to food," grandson Michael DeGidio said in an email. "He was a true legacy of West 7th."
John DeGidio felt at home in the restaurant, Tschida said. He'd practically grown up there, after all, and thrived on making people laugh and feel just as comfortable as family.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time," Tschida said. "He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
John DeGidio was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ann, and his brother Naldo. He's survived by his wife, Dorothy ("Dottie"), children Thomas (Karen), Tony (Molly) and Joanne (Jason), as well as three siblings and seven grandchildren.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28 at the Church of the Assumption, 51 7th St. W., St. Paul, with visitation beforehand starting at 9 a.m. Funeral arrangements are being handled by O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral and Cremation Services of St. Paul.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time. He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
— Jason Tschida on his father-in-law John DeGidio
November 4, 1936 ~ October 22, 2022
Legendary restaurateur, John Gerald DeGidio, 86, passed away on October 22, 2022 surrounded by family.
John was the proud owner of DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar in Saint Paul.
John's family was everything to him and he loved having them near him. He loved making everyone laugh. His loving personality will be missed by many.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Ann; brother, Naldo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Dorothy "Dottie;" children, Thomas (Karen), Anthony (Molly) & Joanne (Jason). John adored his grandchildren, Mike (Tom), Danny, Rob, Josie (Aaron), Jessie, Allie & Zack.
He is survived by his siblings, Gene, Joanne & Jerome.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10AM, Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Church of the Assumption (51 7th Street West, Saint Paul, MN 55102).
****************************************************
W. 7th denizen offered good food, good friends
By Jared Kaufman ~ Saint Paul Pioneer Press ~ October 26, 2022
It didn't matter if he knew you or not: John DeGidio would ask where you had eaten last night.
The second-generation owner of DeGidio's, the classic old-school Italian restaurant on St. Paul's West 7th Street, loved to connect with people about food, said his son Tony DeGidio. He'd drift over to strangers' tables and drop in on their conversations about meals, restaurants, favorite dishes — as if he'd known them forever — and his comic one-liners were unparalleled, too.
DeGidio died Saturday surrounded by family. He was 86.
"He was a larger-than-life kind of guy, probably the funniest man I've ever met in my life," his son-in-law Jason Tschida said. "He had a sense of humor that resonated with everyone from plumbers, electricians, lawyers, politicians."
A generational legacy
John DeGidio was born Nov. 4, 1936, three years after his father, Joe, started what was then called DeGidio's Royal Bar.
The bar opened in 1933, not coincidentally the same year Prohibition ended: Joe had evidently found previous success as a bootlegger under the nickname "Kid Bullets." But the gangster-ish connections fell away as Joe fashioned the place into a bowling alley and gathering place for St. Paul's Italian community.
In fact, John DeGidio's first job at his father's bar, in about 1948, was resetting bowling pins — a task that, before lanes were mechanized, had to be done by hand. John DeGidio bought the business in 1983 and, two years later, replaced the bowling lanes with the full-service restaurant that remains today.
"Just tells you how long he'd been there," Tony DeGidio said. "Generations of people have gone through there in 60 years, obviously, and he knew a lot of those people's kids. And he'd known them as kids!"
John DeGidio married Dottie Walsh in 1961, and about 20 years ago, he handed the business to two of their three children. Now, the restaurant is owned by his daughter Joanne and Tschida, her husband, and Tony DeGidio and his wife, Molly. The fourth generation is involved as well. Even non-family employees tend to stay for many years — a testament, Tony DeGidio said, to his father's caring and personable nature.
"He had his family, obviously, but he also had his restaurant family," Molly DeGidio said. "He took care of a lot of people."
That was John DeGidio, she said: People-focused, food-focused, St. Paul-focused. He "loved West 7th," Molly DeGidio said, and he actually grew up in a side-by-side duplex next to the Mancini family, who own Mancini's restaurant down the street. And he supported organizations including Ronald McDonald House and Little Sisters of the Poor.
"He was the type of person that would take his shirt off his back for someone and he was absolutely brilliant when it came to food," grandson Michael DeGidio said in an email. "He was a true legacy of West 7th."
John DeGidio felt at home in the restaurant, Tschida said. He'd practically grown up there, after all, and thrived on making people laugh and feel just as comfortable as family.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time," Tschida said. "He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
John DeGidio was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ann, and his brother Naldo. He's survived by his wife, Dorothy ("Dottie"), children Thomas (Karen), Tony (Molly) and Joanne (Jason), as well as three siblings and seven grandchildren.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28 at the Church of the Assumption, 51 7th St. W., St. Paul, with visitation beforehand starting at 9 a.m. Funeral arrangements are being handled by O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral and Cremation Services of St. Paul.
"He really enjoyed being there all the time. He loved the staff, he loved the customers. Truly everything about it. It was in his blood."
— Jason Tschida on his father-in-law John DeGidio
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