Racing Lost A Devoted Fan Last Week

Today is sad day as I found out my buddy Ilario (Larry) Fazzari from the Calderone Club restaurant in Milwaukee passed away unexpectedly Friday at the age of 57. I first met Larry about eleven years ago. My buddy came to me and said, “There’s this really cool restaurant downtown, the guys are Italian and are into racing and especially love Formula One!” Needless to say I had to check this place out. My first time there I met the Larry and we hit it off. However, anybody who met Larry hit it off. He was that type of guy. Dynamic personality, full of life.

Larry was big guy, but that didn’t keep him from driving karts about twenty years ago. A kart racer pushing 200 pounds in his thirties doesn’t have much of a chance against 120lb teenagers, but he had a great time doing it. He loved to drive fast and the karting club in Dousman, WI was that outlet, as was his blood red Ducati motorcycle. He also did driver instruction at Road America and was motorsport enthusiast.

The Calderone Club is the place to be downtown, it is a classy bar but still has the hominess of a neighborhood tavern. The Fazzari brothers made a good team. Geno went to culinary school in New York and ran the kitchen, the food is fantastic, authentic Italian Larry ran the bar, mixing drinks, washing glasses, but never losing a beat in multiple conversations. You could stop in on any given evening and meet some of the biggest movers and shakers in town. Milwaukee Bucks players, politicians, corporate big wigs, you name it. However, everybody was on even terms, Larry introduced each person and nobody was a stranger. Then again, don’t wear a McLaren team jacket as my buddy found out. Some good-natured razzing came from across the bar as Larry who was a devoted Ferrari enthusiast good naturedly pestered my friend.

Every time the IndyCar Series was in town, it became a tradition to stop in on the Thursday before the race. A tradition built when the Calderone Club hosted some very successful block parties. A who’s who of motorsports is frequently in attendance, there’s a buzz when you walked in. Sadly it won’t be the same without Larry. I recommend you stop in, hoist one for Larry and say, “Salute, sarete perso, Ilario”