'Partial Social Distancing' At Burr Ridge Restaurant: Cops

BURR RIDGE, IL — A police officer showed up at Burr Ridge's Capri Ristorante on a recent Friday night after a village trustee called to say the eatery was violating social distancing requirements.

According to a police report, an officer said Capri was observing social distancing in its outdoor tent. He also said a "large number" of people were inside the restaurant. "It appeared there was partial social distancing inside the restaurant," the officer wrote in his report.

Under the governor's order, indoor dining is banned because of the pandemic, but some restaurants are continuing the service.

According to the police report, the officer spoke with the owner, Filippo "Gigi" Rovito, about the complaint and told him about social distancing requirements.

Village records show that two weeks before that, Mayor Gary Grasso notified Rovito in a hand-delivered letter about complaints against the restaurant. As of early December, it was the only such letter that Grasso sent to a restaurant.

In the letter, Grasso wrote, "There is a report that your hostess and you were not wearing masks Saturday at Capri. If true, that is unacceptable. This is a warning. You and every member of your staff MUST wear a mask at all times."

On Dec. 4, the same day that Mottl called police, Grasso received at least one complaint about alleged violations at Capri. Grasso investigated the next day. Other than a table that was 2 inches closer than the required 6 feet under social distancing rules, the mayor said he found no other violations. His investigation was covered in a previous Patch story.

Rovito donated $5,000 to Grasso's 2018 campaign for attorney general. Rovito has not returned Patch's messages for comment.