Southern Illinois native tries to bring movie to area

John Alongi, a 78-year-old Du Quoin native, is a storyteller. His eyes twinkle with excitement at each opportunity to tell the tales of his own incredible life. Audiences are never lacking as he recounts attending events with his celebrity friends, such as going to an opening with Frank Sinatra or sitting in the booth with the likes of Harry Carry, Joe Garagiola and Jack Buck at St. Louis Cardinals games.

Alongi, of the family-owned Alongi's Italian Restaurant in Du Quoin, is not unfamiliar with celebrities. His restaurant has been frequented by the likes of singers Sunny and Cher, racecar driver A.J. Foyt and the entire St. Louis Cardinals team. "We had a great time with the Cardinals," Alongi said. "The team used to come in our restaurant and spend an afternoon. It eventually became what they called the Cardinal Caravan. They would make the rounds throughout southern Illinois and start out at our place." Alongi's deep southern roots have compelled him to get involved with the community and even try to bring a movie to be filmed in the area.

The name Alongi is not unfamiliar to southern Illinois, as the family has owned the Alongi's Italian Restaurants for 72 years. Alongi's was founded in 1933 by John Alongi's father, Guy Alongi, an Italian immigrant from Cinisi, Sicily. The restaurant is responsible for introducing southern Illinois to pizza, Alongi said. In addition, Alongi's was the first in the area to acquire a television set outside St. Louis in 1946. Alongi has lived in Du Quoin his entire life and was raised above the restaurant in Du Quoin. Though he may have always lived in a small town, he has always had big dreams and ideas.

"I've got a creative mind," Alongi said. "Everything I do I have to have someone that's smarter than me to help me because I can think of ideas, but it's tough for me to create them." He was able to pay his way through college designing a T-shirt line called Ski-Kat. "I advertised them in Playboy and sold them in about eight different countries with just one ad," Alongi said. Alongi went on to dabble in several different industries, often taking on multiple enterprises at once. At one point, he and several partners had a patent on underground roof control machines for coalmines. In the 1960s, he worked as a consultant for Coca-Coca and helped create the drink Fresca.

"At one time, I had like six companies," Alongi said. In addition to running the family restaurant and taking on several other ventures, Alongi became involved in the community. "I've been probably on every economic development committee in southern Illinois for the last 40 years," Alongi said. "I think I was in economic development before anybody knew how to spell it."

Alongi has much experience in politics and has worked as economic development director for former U.S. congressmen Kenneth Gray and Glenn Poshard. His true interest in economic development falls in the area of tourism. "I've been an advocate of tourism for a long time," Alongi said. "When I came back from Korea in 1952, I recognized the fact that coal mines weren't going to last forever, and we needed to get involved." Alongi said he believes tourism is going to be a big industry for southern Illinois in the future. He said it has potential because of the climate and geographic diversity.

"I'm on the Carbondale Board of Tourism and have been for over 25 years, and I don't even live in Carbondale," Alongi said. In fact, he has been working for years on getting a large-budget movie to be filmed in the area. He has attended the Cannes Film Festival twice and Santa Monica Film Festival five times in an effort to show the movie industry southern Illinois' potential.

"It will eventually happen, I hope," Alongi said. Alongi said he got involved in the community so he could give something back to the people who have given so much to him and his family. Plus, he said it is his duty as a citizen. "If you are going to live in an area and it doesn't thrive, you don't just sit back and watch it rot," Alongi said. "You ought to pitch in and devote some time to help the community, civic work or something. After all, you're going to live there."

Alongi has passed the Du Quoin restaurant down to his sons, Guy Alongi III and John Alongi II, but he remains a frequent visitor. He also visits the new Carbondale restaurant, which his sons own in partnership with Dave Ardrey. Alongi can always be found telling stories and chatting with customers. "I am a people person," Alongi said. "The reason I really come to go my restaurants is there are friends there. We have people who are third generation who come to Du Quoin. Everybody says, 'Oh, my grandmother knew you,' and that makes me feel great."