Courtesy Gianino family
Bill and Kathy Gianino, who would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this October
It was just over a year ago that St. Louis lost two of its most renowned Italian restaurant icons: Kim Tucci and Vince Bommarito Sr. died within the same week last spring. Alas, history repeated itself this year with the passing of two more heavyweights: Bill Gianino and Charlie Gitto Sr. (Ann Lemons Pollack remembers the latter here).
Gianino died unexpectedly on June 26 after suffering a heart attack. He was 69.
Gianino was the scion behind the Gianino Family of Restaurants: Three Joey B’s, Billy G’s, Bill Gianino’s Traditional Italian, Frankie G’s Grill & Bar, and Frankie Gianino’s in Imperial. In the works, but currently on hold, are plans for a new restaurant and a new concept.
His father, Frank Gianino, ran a number of pizza restaurants, which is where Bill got his start. Some restaurateurs get into the business voluntarily and at a young age. Others, like Bill, jumped on board when duty called. "You hear those words from your dad,” he said in this article from 2011, "'The bus boy didn't show up tonight... the dishwasher didn't show up tonight... the janitor didn't show up tonight.'"
Bill was not the kind of restaurateur who sought fame or his place in the spotlight, but he was a guy whom everybody looked to for advice, says Lori Olsen McElvain, owner of Lori O Interiors. She designed nine projects for Gianino over the last 13 years. “'Run it by Bill.' 'Ask Bill.' 'See what Bill thinks'” were common refrains, she says. “He’d owned and operated so many restaurants that he knew all the answers.”
Along with his wife, Kathy, he raised two sons, Billy Jr., who operates Billy G’s in Kirkwood, and Anthony, who co-owns Joey B’s along with “surrogate” son, Joey Barczewski.
Joe Weinmann, better known as Joe the Butcher at Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, said: “Bill was not only my best friend for over 47 years, he was like a brother and the most loyal, trusted friend a person could have in life. And because he was such a great mentor to his boys, he leaves behind a literal family of great restaurants.”
John Saracino, from the Bartolino family of restaurants, said that “one of the best things about Bill was that he never said a bad word about anyone. And if I ever had a question about the restaurant business, I would always ask Bill. He was a wealth of knowledge in the business and also life in general. He loved the restaurant industry and was darn good at it.” These sentiments are echoed by Bill Bourne, partner in the former Rick’s Café Americain. Bourne said Bill was “always constructive where he felt it would be helpful, yet was always the first to compliment you about what stood out within your operation. By doing things like that, he earned everyone’s respect.”
He earned mine in another way. One morning, I stopped by the future Billy G’s in Kirkwood, where demolition was in progress. Scaffolding was everywhere, all four walls were shored up with wood, the basement was exposed…the place was a disaster. Like many restaurant projects, this one had become a lot more involved and expensive than the Gianino family had originally planned. At that point, most restaurateurs would have panicked and cut every corner they could. Instead, Bill Gianino spared no expense and completed the job as designed, thereby creating a juggernaut that became one of the most popular restaurants—and restaurant patios—in St. Louis.
McElvain was Gianino’s designer on the project. “Every project I did for Bill was a handshake deal," she said. "Had we drawn up contracts, I would have underbid and lost my shirt on about three-quarters of them. And he knew that. I have many clients who are kind, but not that kind of kind. When he would raise money for different charities, which he’d do a lot, I’d be worried about the aesthetics of the promotional banners he put up. His only concern was the kids who would benefit.
“It was Bill’s loyalty and trust that built my business,” she continues. “He was the person I went to regularly for advice, because he gave it to you straight…sometimes with words, other times with that big-eyed look so you just knew, and occasionally he’d do the hand slash across the throat, which meant ‘Don’t even think about it.’ His instructions to McElvain were always the same, and often sprinkled with “-isms”… "Don’t make it too fancy. I want to wear my jeans in there."
McElvain said: “Bill just knew how to treat people. He was a golden rule guy, but even more so, he was a big ‘second chances’ guy. I saw it happen over and over, with suppliers, with subcontractors, and even with me when I screwed up. It created an intense loyalty that other restaurant owners will never experience. That is what made him so special to so many people.”
