Salzillo game dinner to honor memory of a friend

Johnston Sun Rise ·

To say that the memories of the annual Richard D. “Ricky” Salzillo Memorial Game Dinner could fill volumes would be an understatement.

Steven M. Placella, one of the event’s founding fathers, said, “this event has been held for over 40 years and the planning, preparation and people just gets better with each passing year.”

For some, the Ricky Salzillo Memorial Game Dinner serves as a reunion, a chance to recant the late Johnstonians memory and name that has, in short, raised thousands of dollars for high school students who are going on to college and youngsters who are battling cancer at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

“It’s safe to say wherever and whenever there’s a need, you’ll find this committee,” said Placella, a prominent attorney. “I still can’t believe we’ve been doing this for over four decades; I guess it’s safe to say we love doing this to keep Ricky’s name alive.”

When asked just when and where the dinner began, Placella said, “Hey, I’m not old enough to remember!”

In truth, Placella was among those friends of Ricky Salzillo who organized the first of what has been 41 fund-raising game dinners many moons ago.

The late Salzillo passed away on Feb. 10, 1976 from injuries he sustained in an automobile accident on Route 295 and the organization and fund-raising efforts began shortly thereafter. They began because there was an important need inside Johnston War Memorial Park.

“The fund-raising efforts began shortly after Ricky’s death,” Placella remembered. “He loved to have a good time, just like everyone else. So we decided to hold a dinner in his memory.”

Perhaps the Salzillo Memorial Game Dinner shifted into overdrive because, as Placella noted, “there was a need in town.”

In the late 1990s, the Fitness Court had fallen into disrepair and there were no available funds for its renovation.

Enter Vin LaFazia, who then served as Johnston Recreation Director, who suggested having a fund-raiser to rebuild the fitness court and name it in honor of Ricky Salzillo.

John Furia, who owned and operated a restaurant and was known as one of the beast idea men around, proposed having a game winner and got everyone involved for what would later become an overwhelming success.

“Old friend Tony Berardis supplied the venison back then through his membership in a local rod and gun club,” Placella said. “Former Johnston Police officer Mike Calenda Jr. and his father Mike Sr. butchered the venison and the Friday before John [Furia] did the shopping and bulk of the prep work at an off-sight location. By Sunday morning the large sauce pans were humming at the Kelley-Gazzerro Post and it wasn’t long before people started arriving for the feast.”

Placella and LaFazia, while remembering their late friend John Furia, said: “We still can’t believe that man did all the cooking with old friends Nick Pagliaro, Bill Iannotti, John Holder, Lou Prata and ourselves. Even some of our wives, Cindy Placella, Susan Pagliaro, Audrey Iannotti and Brenda Holder, served as waitresses and helped make the day special.”

Placella added, “Make that Super Special; just like the 42nd Annual Ricky Salzillo Memorial Game Dinner will be on Sunday, Jan. 28” starting at high noon inside the Kelley-Gazzerro VFW Post 12 that is also home of Ralph’s Kitchen and Catering that’s located at 1418 Plainfield Street on the Cranston-Johnston line.

Tickets are priced at only $35 per person and there will also be a huge, multi-prize raffle organized by Johnston native Frank Fede that in years past has included everything from gas grills to Mahogany liquor shelves.

The menu will begin with venison chili and include antipasto salad and bruschetta, game soup, pasta with venison meatballs and venison sausage, wild boar and peas, venison cacciatore, rabbit, venison meatloaf and potato. For tickets please call the Johnston Recreation office at 272-3460 or Kelley-Gazzerro Post 942-9500.