John Vincent Santopadre Sr.

John V. Santopadre Sr. died of a lengthly illness on February 16, 2007 at Ochsner Foundation Hospital at age 79 years. He was the son of the late Vincent Santopadre and Mary Bellina Santopadre and a long time resident of New Orleans and Harahan. He served in the United States Navy during World War II aboard the much decorated warship, the USS Pensacola. A combat veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He won distinction as a member of the gun crew. He served his country again in the Korean War where he spent eighteen months. As a young man he was a member of the 33rd Forum Lodge but later became a catholic. As a civilian, John was co-owner with his brother Joseph of the Numerous Tip-Top Shoe Repair Stores. He won many awards and in 1955 won the Nation Silver Cup for outstanding shoe repairman. Mr. John, as he was known, was very ambitious and hardworking his entire life. After leaving the shoe repair business, he became a Real Estate Agent for Latter & Blum. He was Vice-President of the Merchants Bank and Trust and co-owner of the LaRichelieu Hotel and the Avenue Plaza Hotel. His true passion was restoring old buildings. He bought, reburbished and sold numerous properties throughout the city of New Orleans and Jefferson. In the late 1970’s he begin restoring the 100 Block of Decatur Street from a seedy area into one of the gateways to the French Quarter. He developed Club Lapension, the first urban vacation timeshare in the US and Café Giovanni, a 5-star Italian restaurant. In 1999 he was named the Italian-American of the year. He also served on the Regional Planning Commission and owned Mr. John’s Ristorante. Mr. Santopadre was very proud of his Italian culture and in 2004 took his family to Italy where they visited the town of Santopadre just outside of Rome. He will be remembered for his intense love for his family. He was the center of the Universe to his family and will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Lorraine Aucoin Santopadre, three daughters, Johnie Ann Salvaggio and her husband Rodney, Gina Szush and Joni Degravelle and her husband Oliver. Nine grandchildren, Ashley Bono, Amanda Salvaggio, Jeffrey and Mark Szush, Gia and Alicia Santopadre, Elizabeth, Alexandra and John Degravelle and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Sister Josephine Santopadre and many nieces and nephews. In 2004 he was preceded in death by his son, John Jr. Preceded in death also were brother Joseph and sisters Jeanette Marino and Rosemary Kloete.

Source: http://lakelawnmetairie.createatribute.com/registryMain.php?i_memor...

John Vincent Santopadre Sr., a World War II combat veteran, real estate developer and restaurant owner who lived in Harahan, died Friday at Ochsner Medical Center. He was 79.

Mr. Santopadre developed the first vacation time shares in an urban setting in the United States with projects in New Orleans in the early 1980s, said Ben Favret, a developer and business partner. Mr. Santopadre later became a partner in time share developments in Florida.

He renovated buildings in the 100 block of Decatur Street, revitalizing a key entrance to the French Quarter, Favret said. He restored several aging buildings in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. He was co-owner of Le Richelieu Hotel in the Quarter and Avenue Plaza Hotel on St. Charles Avenue.

"He accomplished so much in his life and helped so many other people accomplish things, too," said Favret, who described Mr. Santopadre as generous with advice, business contacts and investments. "He was a mentor to a lot of people."

Mr. Santopadre started and later sold Cafe Giovanni, an Italian restaurant on Decatur Street. He owned Mr. John's Ristorante on St. Charles Avenue. He also owned Popeyes chicken franchises in Mississippi, was a former franchiser of the Tastee Donuts chain and bought and sold other restaurants, said his son-in-law, Rodney Salvaggio. He helped his son, the late John Santopadre Jr., and Salvaggio start Smilie's, a popular restaurant in Elmwood.

Salvaggio said Mr. Santopadre embraced challenging projects, and at the time of his death, was in the midst of restoring a building on Iberville Street in the Quarter to create apartments, and was planning a condominium tower that has attracted neighborhood opposition on the River Road in Old Jefferson. Those projects will continue, Salvaggio said.

"He did big things," said John Williams, an architect who worked for Mr. Santopadre. "He wasn't scared. He liked a good challenge. It's a big loss. We needed his caliber of character to help in the rebuilding" from Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Santopadre served on the New Orleans area's Regional Planning Commission.

Born in New Orleans, Mr. Santopadre attended Alcee Fortier High School and served in the Navy, where he was on the gun crew of the USS Pensacola during World War II, including the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was 17 when he joined the service and had to get special permission from his parents, Salvaggio said. He also served in the Korean War.

He began his business career as co-owner of a family company, Tip-Top Shoe Repair, which he helped expand into several locations. In 1955, he won the National Silver Cup for Outstanding Shoe Repairman. He was a vice president of Merchants Bank & Trust. In his first job in real estate, he was an agent for Latter & Blum.

Mr. Santopadre's father and grandfather came to the United States from Italy, and relatives said he was proud of his Italian heritage. He was named Italian-American of the Year in 1999 and took his family to visit the Italian village of Santopadre, outside Rome, in 2004.

"He was the center of our universe," said his daughter, Johnie Ann Salvaggio. "We looked up to him greatly."

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Lorraine Aucoin Santopadre; three daughters, Gina Szush, Joni Degravelle and Johnie Ann; a sister, Josephine Santopadre; nine grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass will be said today at 1 p.m. at St. Rita Catholic Church, 7100 Jefferson Highway in Harahan. Visitation at the church begins at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Metairie Cemetery.

Lakelawn Metairie Funeral Home is handling arrangements

Burial:

Metairie Cemetery

New Orleans

Orleans Parish

Louisiana, USA

Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=santopadre&GS...