Family Love Affair Blooms for Half a Century at Villa Romana

Photo: Philip Liborio Gangi

Tony Accardo Sr. (left) holds his grandson Tony III inside the dining room at Villa Romana. The Accardo family is celebrating 50 years in business at the Irving Street restaurant in April.

By Dmitry Kiper

On April 20, Villa Romana restaurant will celebrate 50 years of business in the Sunset District by rolling back its prices to the year 1955.

"We're going to lose a lot of money that day," said Manager Tony Accardo, who has been planning the event for five years.

The uniqueness of the celebration is not limited to the unbelievably low prices - customers will actually order from a replica of the 1955 menu. The musical guest, a group from Sicily, will sing old Italian favorites; there will be appearances by former employees who worked at the restaurant in the '50s and, perhaps most notably, several movie stars will attend the event (they have asked Accardo not to reveal their names).

Villa Romana is a family-owned restaurant that offers a whole spectrum of Southern Italian cuisine - a region from Rome to Sicily - specializing in seafood and poultry. Accardo's father, Tony Accardo Sr., is the owner and Accardo's mother, Julia, works to expedite orders in the kitchen.

Frank Perna, Accardo Sr.'s uncle, was the original owner of the restaurant. His story begins in 1945 when he was released from an American internment camp, where he was held for several years because he was Italian. He joined the Army upon his release and was stationed in San Francisco.

He founded Villa Romana in 1955. The operation was simple: Perna made the pizza while his wife worked in the kitchen.

The place was so popular, Accardo Sr. recalls, his uncle had to turn away a reporter from a national newspaper who wanted to write a piece on the pizzeria: He turned away free publicity because the place could not handle any more business.

"It was the first pizza place in the Sunset. There was a line every day," Accardo Sr. said in his cheery Italian accent.

Accardo Sr. was born in Naples, Italy in 1939 and by the end of World War II he was an orphan. Because Italy was devastated by the war, he and his nine siblings had to scavenge for food.

"They were starving," Accardo said. "Stealing chickens to eat." 

In 1960, Perna invited his nephew Accardo Sr. to work for him in the pizzeria.

"I started working here the first day I came from Italy," Accardo Sr. said. "I got stuck."

He helped his uncle by working as a manager. In 1987, he bought the pizzeria from his uncle and turned it into a full-scale Italian restaurant (they continue to serve pizza) and acquired a full liquor license.

The changes he made were strictly culinary, except he removed the jukeboxes from each table. His wife went to Italy and recruited four chefs (who still work in the restaurant) and helped create the menu, which has remained unchanged for almost 20 years.

The decor of the restaurant hasn't changed, but almost everything has been refurbished. The redwood ceiling, burgundy carpet, pizza oven and murals depicting ancient Roman ruins have been there for half a century. 

"We've been fortunate," said Accardo. "(The restaurant) has provided a comfortable livelihood for my uncle, my father and, now, me."

Accardo has an MBA in finance from University of San Francisco. He has a professional demeanor and a quick smile. His son, Tony III, is 14 months old and his wife Natasha is expecting another child next month.

When asked if he will encourage his sons to take over the family business, he said, "We'll see," while subtly winking and smiling. He would prefer the restaurant to stay in the family, but he will not pressure his sons to follow in his footsteps.

For the past year, the restaurant has been exploring catering and home delivery.

"We'll continue to promote that," Accardo said.

He sees the place as a neighborhood restaurant and finds it "very satisfying to have customers come here."

"People see us as a part of the Sunset District," he said. "My mother and father love it. They actually enjoy being here."

"This place has been smooth all the time," said Accardo Sr.  of the restaurant's success. "It's been good for us since the first day we opened."

Accardo Sr. has enjoyed being his own boss.

"Nobody tells me what to do," he said. "Only the customers."

Villa Romana is located at 731 Irving St. For more information, call (415) 731-2280.