Another Tie Between Burr Ridge Mayor And Nightclub Backer

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso last week downplayed his relationship with an Italian restaurant owner who is trying to get village approval for a nightclub.

This week, Patch asked Grasso, an attorney, whether Filippo "Gigi" Rovito, owner of Capri Ristorante, was a client.

Grasso said Rovito was not a client. But he did not mention that Rovito had been a client — for four years. According to Cook County court records, Grasso defended Rovito against a lawsuit filed by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. The litigation ended about a month before Grasso became mayor for a second time in 2019.

In an email Thursday, Grasso confirmed he had been Rovito's lawyer.

The village's Plan Commission is reviewing Rovito's proposal for the "Are We Live?" nightclub. It held its first hearing this week and plans another one on June 7.

After the Plan Commission makes a recommendation, the nightclub proposal goes to the Village Board. Grasso could only vote on the issue in the case of a tie. But unless he recuses himself, he would preside over the meeting in which Rovito's proposal is considered.

The proposed nightclub would be in County Line Square, a few doors down from Capri Ristorante. Many neighbors oppose the establishment, saying it would be noisy and cause parking problems.

In a post on Patch last week, Grasso took Patch to task for its coverage of Rovito's proposal, saying the use of the word "nightclub" was misleading. Rovito has stated in a since-deleted video that the establishment would feature music and dancing.

Grasso also criticized Patch's use of the word "ties" to describe his relationship to Rovito.

"To stoke the rumor mongering and sensationalism, (Patch reporter David) Giuliani then injected his own rhetoric that the Mayor has 'ties' to Capri because I dine there often, there is a wonderful linguini dish on the menu with my surname, and I received a donation in 2018 when I ran unsuccessfully for Attorney General," the mayor said in the post.

He said Patch used the word "ties" to "fan the flame" of anti-Italian-American stereotyping.

"So, try the 'Linguini a la Mayor Grasso' at Capri Ristorante — delizioso," the mayor said. "There are dishes named for Coach Q, Denis Savard and Pat Bruno too — but you weren't told that either."