Chaîne Sunday Family Dinner
Sunday, June 22, 2025
A fun change of pace! In response to interest expressed in a more casual Sunday event, we paid homage to the recent movie Nonnas with a celebratory Chaîne Sunday Family Dinner during Ilio DiPaolo’s 60th anniversary year. Dinner was served family style.
About the Venue
From a small pizzeria with only four employees in 1965, family-owned Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant in Blasdell is an immigrant success story. Ilio DiPaolo was born in the Abruzzi region of Italy, and left home in 1949 for Venezuela, where he began a successful international pro-wrestling career. In 1951 he moved to New York and met his wife, Ethel. After retiring from wrestling he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Hall of Fame, and then moved with Ethel to Buffalo in 1965 and opened their restaurant. Ilio, who had traveled the world, always said that people in Western New York were the best of the best and he was proud to be a part of a community that made him feel like family. The restaurant is known for its famous house sauce, warm hospitality, and generosity within the community and is recognized on the Historic Business Preservation Registry. Today, Ilio’s son Dennis, along with his son, Ilio Jr., carry out Ilio’s vision.