Man reignites father's legacy as Anderson Fireman's Festival returns after 15 years

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5 days ago

It didn't take long for Serafino "Sam" Delzotti to become a fixture of Cincinnati's restaurant industry after he immigrated from Italy in 1964. He started his career as a chef at the Lookout House Supper Club in Covington before moving on to Montgomery's Fox & Crow – located in the current Carlo & Johnny's – and the Hearth Supper Club in Mount Carmel, where it's rumored he lured Tony Bennett to perform. In 1980, he and his business partner, Peter Bonnis, opened The Loveland Inn on Loveland-Madeira Road.
In 1982, Delzotti, who also worked third shift as a metal fabricator, took an old family sausage recipe and turned it into a side hustle. He debuted his Delzotti Italian Sausage at the Comboni Mission Festival in Anderson and soon joined the church festival circuit, providing Italian-style hoagies for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Festival and St. Veronica's Festival, too. His sausages developed a dedicated following and are now considered somewhat famous on the East Side, where they can be found at Jungle Jim's Eastgate location.
Along with being a talented chef, Delzotti was a community fixture who was active in several organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the Cincinnati chapter of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America and the United Italian Society of Greater Cincinnati. His death in 2007 at the age of 68 was a blow to not just the city's Italian-American community, but a large swath of the East Side, as well. "His funeral was crazy," his son, Franco, told me. "He knew so many people."
After Delzotti's death, Franco, a firefighter in Union Township, took over the business as a coping mechanism. "I do it to keep on the tradition," he told me. It's also a way for him to commune with his father's memory.
Franco started his firefighting career at a mentorship program with Anderson Township's Fire & Rescue department. To support his son, Sam started selling his Italian sausage hoagies at the annual Fireman's Festival, a fundraiser that helped raise money for the department. The festival ended in 2010, but you can try Delzotti 's famous sausage for yourself when it marks its comeback after a 15-year absence.
The return of the Fireman's Festival is a story in itself. Started in the 1960s, it took place the fire station parking lot on Beechmont Avenue until 1998, when it was absorbed by the Anderson Park District and merged into Anderson Day, which takes place at Beech Acres each July. It lived on until 2010, but according to Mark Cunningham, a firefighter who serves as chairman of the Anderson Township Charitable Foundation, it eventually struggled to find volunteers. Worse, it no longer felt like the special event it once was. "It lost its spirit," Cunningham said.
Last year, Anderson Township trustee Josh Gerth reached out to Cunningham, suggesting they try to bring the festival back. And finding a suitable location for it was easier than Cunningham thought. He and Gerth met with the management of Belterra Park, a horse racing and gaming facility on Kellogg Avenue, who said they could use the space, including its restrooms and food and beer vendors. With the infrastructure already in place, the decision to bring it back was simple.
The festival's return is also a boon to the community. Unlike the old days, when proceeds helped pay for equipment, including ambulances, for the fire department, they will now go toward the Charitable Foundation, a 501c3 whose primary job is to serve as caretakers of the Anderson Firefighters Memorial at Beech Acres Park, as well as to support to firefighters and other community members in need.
Along with those Delzotti sausage hoagies mentioned above, the Fireman's Festival will feature three additional food trucks. More food and beer options are available inside the park. Live entertainment includes the Dan Varner Band, DJ Glen Hock, the Naked Karate Girls and the Michelle Robinson Band.
While the festival is open to all ages, Cunningham said the entertainment is geared more toward adults and teens, so you might want to leave the kiddies at home. If you want to make a day of it, there are several horse races scheduled this weekend.
The Anderson Township Fireman's Festival takes place at Belterra Park, 6301 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township, 5-11 p.m. Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31. For more info, visit andersontownshipoh.gov.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Minor miracle revives Anderson Fireman's Festival after 15-year hiatus