Nunzio Alioto

Nunzio is the son of Giuseppe Alioto and Stefana Balestrieri Alioto. Nunzio was born in 1892 in 

Sant' Elia and died in San Francisco in 1933.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF NUNZIO'S SON-IN-LAW'S (NUNZIO) PARENTS, VINCENZA FRANCESCA "VINCENZINA" (TARANTINO) ALIOTO (1888-1951) AND GIUSEPPE "JOSEPH" TARANTINO (1872-1948). THIS WEDDING PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN AUGUST 8TH, 1912 IN SANT' ELIA, SICILY. GIUSEPPE WAS MY 1ST COUSIN 3X REMOVED. VINCENZA WAS MY 2ND COUSIN 3X REMOVED. (ELENA ALIOTO COLLECTION)

The date of this photo is unknown. This is a photo of Frances (Colla) Alioto, Frank Alioto (son of Nunzio and Rose Passantino Alioto), my grandmother Norma (Tognoli) Alioto and my grandfather Mario Alioto. This photo was taken at Bimbo's 365 Club on Market Street.

This is a photo of Frank Alioto (son of Nunzio and Rose Passantino Alioto), Frances (Colla) Alioto, my grandfather Mario Alioto, and my grandmother Norma (Tognoli) Alioto and. This photo was taken at the Flamingo Las Vegas in 1949

PHOTOS OF GLORIA (MARCONI) ALIOTO AND MARIO JOSEPH ALIOTO. MARIO WAS THE SON OF NUNZIO AND ROSA "ROSE"

THESE ARE RECORDINGS OF MARIO JOSEPH ALIOTO, THE SON OF NUNZIO AND ROSE. MARIO SANG AT MY PARENTS' WEDDING (MARIO FRANK ALIOTO JR. AND MARGARET GRAF) ON AUGUST 16, 1969. SADLY, MARIO PASSED AWAY A MERE TWO MONTHS LATER ON OCTOBER 25, 1969.

An undated photo in front of Alioto's. On the left is Mario, oldest son of Nunzio and Rose. To the right is Frank, Mario's younger brother

THIS IS A PHOTO OF NUNZIO AND ROSE'S GRANDSON, JOSEPH "JOEY" ALIOTO'S FAMILY.  JOEY'S WIFE, JUDY (BARONE) ALIOTO IS SHOWN HERE WITH HER CHILDREN NUNZIO, ALEXA, JOSEPH, AND MARC

A PHOTO FROM THE 1940s THAT SHOWS ALIOTO'S "FISH DINNERS" BEFORE THE 2ND AND 3RD FLOORS WERE CONSTRUCTED

POSTCARD PHOTOS. THE POSTCARD ON THE RIGHT IS FROM THE 1940s THAT SHOWS ALIOTO'S BEFORE THE 2ND AND 3RD FLOORS WERE CONSTRUCTED

VINTAGE PHOTOS OF ALIOTO'S FROM THE 1950s

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ALIOTO’S RESTAURANT PART OF SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY SINCE 1925

Written by recipestew on Apr-5-10

Contact: Cynthia Traina

Led by the family’s third generation, Alioto’s Restaurant is reviving its past by returning to its rich Sicilian heritage. In paying homage to its culinary roots, the family is also fondly recognizing a history that was built on tireless struggles and breathtaking successes. That history is proudly displayed in the “Wall of History” exhibit—photographs, menus and ephemera from their seven decades on the Wharf. The exhibit, displayed in the restaurant’s entryway, chronicles the growth of the Wharf from a sleepy fishing village to an international tourist destination.

What grew to become an institution in San Francisco dining actually began as a fresh fish stall, founded in 1925 by Nunzio Alioto, Sr., a Sicilian immigrant. At the time, the Wharf consisted of an enormous lumber yard, train tracks, a union hall, canning plants and wholesale fisheries. At Stall #8, Nunzio sold lunchtime provisions to the Italian laborers. By 1928 he began selling simple luncheon items. Proving exceptionally popular were steamed crab, and shrimp and crab cocktails, which would be served on trays that could be attached to car windows–one of the earliest attempts at drive-in eating.

Business grew steadily as Nunzio catered to hungry shoppers at the Wharf. What eventually became known as “Alioto’s innovation” was the conversion from old wood burning crab pots to gas burners. In 1932, he constructed the first building on Fisherman’s Wharf–combining the fish stand with a seafood bar specializing in crab and shrimp cocktails, and steamed crab.

The plans Nunzio Alioto foresaw for his seafood enterprise on the Wharf came to an abrupt halt the following year. After suffering a bout of double pneumonia, Nunzio died suddenly at the age of 41, leaving behind a wife, Rose and three children. Strapped for a way to support her family, Rose took over the business becoming the first woman to work on the Wharf. Initially she was ostracized by her male neighbors, who refused to  sell her fish. Luckily, the fish was procured by Phil Rubino, who had formerly worked with her husband. Rose’s children accompanied her to work everyday, and tended to every aspect of the business. This tradition continues today as the Alioto children begin their restaurant apprenticeship in their early teens.

A number of historical events contributed to the restaurant’s phenomenal growth and the eventual establishment of Fisherman’s Wharf. With the completion of both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges in 1937, San Francisco was quickly becoming the urban center of Northern California. By 1938, Rose installed a kitchen–the first on the Wharf–and opened a restaurant, serving cracked crab, salads, and crab and shrimp cocktails, and seafood specialties. It was here that Rose Alioto created a shellfish stew called Cioppino which became a San Francisco culinary legend. To help make ends meet, daughter Antoinette, the eldest of Rose’s three children, worked the graveyard shift at Bank of America after completing her daytime duties as waitress, part-time cook, and bookkeeper at the restaurant.

In 1939, the San Francisco Exposition and World’s Fair brought tourists from around the world to the City. The restaurant flourished, yet it wasn’t until the onset of America’s participation in World War II that its reputation became firmly established. Fisherman’s Wharf became one of the Ports of Embarkation for sailors, who were often accompanied by their families. While Rose’s sons, Frank and Mario, were called off to serve in the armed forces, Rose and her daughter Antoinette were kept busy serving fresh seafood and hearty clam chowder to these men and their families–and word about Alioto’s Restaurant’s food quickly spread.

The restaurant continued to expand as public demand grew for Alioto’s delicious seafood. By 1950, Rose enlarged her restaurant by purchasing her neighbor’s stall, Castagnola’s #7. She built a one-story, $130,000 brick building. Alioto’s Restaurant underwent a second major facelift in 1957, when a $200,000 second story was added, making it the tallest building on the Wharf.

A disastrous fire gutted Alioto’s Restaurant that same year. Undeterred, the family, led by Rose, rebuilt the restaurant from scratch on the same site. Fortunately, rescued from the devastating fire was a wall composed entirely of thousands of clam shells saved from diners’ meals through the years.

During these years, Rose’s son Frank assumed the operation of the restaurant. Daughter Antoinette married, and she and her husband, a distant Alioto cousin, worked in the restaurant sharing various responsibilities. Rose’s third child, Mario, became a singer with the San Francisco Opera Company. Frank’s son Nunzio and Antoinette’s son Joe took over management responsibilities in 1971. Rose, the matriarch of the Alioto clan, continued to work at the restaurant until she passed away in 1970, at the age of 74.

As the Restaurant was re-establishing itself, the Alioto family name was receiving local and national recognition for another reason: Joe Alioto, Rose’s nephew, was elected the 33rd Mayor of San Francisco in 1968 and served for an eight-year term. During this period, Alioto’s became a popular hangout for San Francisco’s Democrat power base.

Alioto’s menu design and logo boast the vibrant colors of Sicily’s peasant-style ceramics, which are now collector’s items.Binding the large Alioto family together today is a lifetime fondness for Fisherman’s Wharf and a concern that it continue as a vital part of San Francisco. One of the annual events the Alioto’s were instrumental in founding was Festa Italiana, a Wharf-wide event taking place each October which contributes $50,000 to local charities. The family also helped establish the multi-denominational Fishermen’s and Seamen’s Memorial Chapel. Both Nunzio, Jr., and Joe have served as president of the Wharf’s tenant and merchant associations, and Nunzio currently serves on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. Many other San Francisco charities, including the Save the Cable Car Fund, the Ronald McDonald House, Salesian Boys & Girls Club, Little Sisters of the Poor, and the St.Ignatius High School have benefited from the generosity and civic pride shown by the Aliotos.

Menu from 1937

Alioto's card from the early 1940s

1943 Menu for Alioto's on the Wharf in San Francisco

1940s Menu for Alioto's on the Wharf in San Francisco

THIS IS A MENU FROM THE 1950s

THIS IS A MENU FROM THE 1950s

THIS IS A MENU FROM THE LATE 1950s

1960s Alioto's Souvenir Menu

1964 Alioto's Menu

Menu from Alioto's - year unknown

THIS IS A MENU FROM THE 1990s

Matchbooks from Alioto's, date unknown 

A BUSINESS CARD, A VINTAGE 6-OUNCE COFFEE MUG, AND TWO VINTAGE PLATES FROM ALIOTO'S IN SAN FRANCISCO. 

THESE ARE ITEMS I HAVE IN MY COLLECTION

Articles about Alioto's - 

https://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2013/07/08/port-history-aliotos-restaurant-on-fishermans-wharf/

https://www.zagat.com/b/the-next-generation-aliotos-in-san-francisco

Alioto's - written by Mike Prero (August 2005)

Anyone who knows anything about San Francisco recognizes the Alioto name. Success in business has made the Alioto family something of a dynasty, both in San Francisco business and society....and Alioto’s certainly does have quite a history, both in restaurants...and in matchcovers! 

“Alioto's Restaurant, a San Francisco landmark located on Historic Fisherman's Wharf, has long been apart of the City's rich history. What grew to become a tradition in San Francisco dining, actually began as a fresh-fish stall, founded in 1925 by Nunzio Alioto, Sr., an immigrant from Sicily. In 1925, the Wharf consisted of an enormous lumber yard, train tracks, a union hall, wholesale fisheries and fishing boats. At Stall #8 Nunzio sold lunchtime provisions to Italian laborers. His business grew steadily, and by 1932 he had constructed the first building at the historic corner of Taylor @ Jefferson, by combining the fish stand with a seafood bar specializing in crab and shrimp cocktails and steamed crab. 

In 1933, Nunzio Alioto, Sr. passed away. It brought an end to his own plans, but his dream was to be carried on by his widow, "Nonna" Rose and their three children. Rose took over the business and became the first woman to work on the wharf. By 1938 she had installed a kitchen in the original structure and officially opened Alioto's Restaurant. It was here that Rose Alioto first created a shell-fish stew called Cioppino. Ciopinno has become a San Francisco culinary legend. 

A number of historical events contributed to Alioto's phenomenal growth and the eventual establishment of Fisherman's Wharf as San Francisco's most popular tourist destination. With the completion of both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges in 1937, San Francisco was quickly becoming the urban center of Northern California. In 1939, the San Francisco Exposition and World's Fair brought tourists from around the world to the City. Alioto's Restaurant flourished, yet it was not until America's participation in W.W.II that its reputation became firmly established. Fisherman's Wharf became one of the Ports of Embarkation for sailors. Alioto's kept busy serving fresh seafood, hearty clam chowder and their famous Cioppino to these men and their families. Word about Alioto's delicious food spread quickly. The restaurant continued to expand as public demand grew 

By 1950, Rose enlarged her restaurant by purchasing her neighbor's stall. On this joint property she built a one-story building. In 1957, Alioto's underwent a second major face-lift, when a second story was added, making it the tallest building on the Wharf. A disastrous fire gutted Alioto's Restaurant that same year. Undeterred, the family, led by the intrepid "Rose", rebuilt the restaurant from scratch on the same site. Fortunately, rescued from the devastating fire was a wall composed entirely of thousands of clam shells, saved from diners' meals through the decades. This wall still stands today in the entrance to the main dining room. 

Alioto's unique menu offers distinctive Sicilian recipes handed down through the generations of the Alioto family. These Sicilian dishes can be identified on the menu by the three-legged triangle next to the menu item. This symbol, called the "Trinacria" represents the three corners of the island of Sicily. In 1998, the Alioto family commemorated their history in a permanent exhibit, "The Wall of History". Located in the restaurants stairwell, this collection of photographs, newspaper clips, old menus and postcards date back to 1925. The exhibit documents the history of Fisherman's Wharf and the Alioto family's contribution to San Francisco's favorite visitor attraction, Fisherman's Wharf. 

On this historic street, Taylor at Jefferson, you will find not only Alioto's Restaurant overlooking the fishing boats, but there is also a new "Nonna Rose" Trattoria, as well as a Crab Stand right next to the new "Cafe 8" where you can sit right on the walkway where everything began in 1925. And, today Alioto's Restaurants are operated by Nunzio and Rose's grandchildren. Nunzio, Joe and Roseanne Alioto can be found there daily. They continue to keep Nunzio & "Nonna" Rose's dream alive.” [http:// www.aliotos.com] I don’t particularly collect restaurants, but I was easily able to find several cover issues from this San Francisco landmark. The one pictured on the front page is a an early one, going all the way back to World War II, making it at least 50 years old. It’s also a nice Patriotic. There are a variety of later 20’s and 30s, as well. I don’t recall seeing any other sizes, but there may certainly be some.