Funeral held for Tony Durpetti, owner of Chicago's oldest Italian steakhouse Gene & Georgetti

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A funeral was held Thursday morning for the owner of a beloved Italian steakhouse in Chicago.

Mourners poured out of Assumption Catholic Church in River North with warm memories of Tony Durpetti, who died last week at the age of 80.

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The church is right across the street from his restaurant, located at 500 N. Franklin St., marked by the well known Gene and Georgetti sign at the corner of Illinois and Franklin.

After the church services, the restaurant was filled with family and friends, remembering the owner who kept the place going after the death of his father-in-law Gene Micholotti.

"This neighborhood was full of Italian immigrants when my dad was a kid," Tony's daughter Michelle Durpetti said. "My dad was proud he was part of the American dream."

Michelle has managed the restaurant in recent years. Her father was a fixture in the Italian-American community, and he was one time chair of the city's Columbus Day parade. His Italian heritage was always an important part of his identity.

"He was such a fixture in Chicago," said Monsignor Ken Velo with the Chicago Archdiocese. "Everybody knew Tony Durpetti, and now he's at rest."

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Durpetti was born in the building right behind the restaurant and never really left the neighborhood. He was married to wife Marion for 55 years.

The family loved spending time on Lake Michigan on his boat.

Durpetti remained loyal to the friends and family he grew up with, including fellow Chicago restauranteur Phil Stefani.

"Tony and I go back our entire lives," Stefani said. "It all happened in this, it's now called River North. It wasn't then, but it's called River North today."

Those who knew him well say Tony Durpetti was a friend to everyone he met, and he met a lot of people and left a huge impression on the city he loved.

"Every community, he was a big part of," friend Candace Jordan said. "What he contributed to the city of Chicago is immeasurable."

The restaurant has been on the Near North Side for 83 years and is now in its third generation of owners. They have promise to be there for many more years to come.