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'''DiSalvo’s Casa di Pizza''', "The House of Pizza", was a restaurant at 306 State St. that Sam DiSalvo ran from 1961 to 1968. It served pizza, spaghetti and seafood, and delivered fried chicken anywhere in the city under the name '''Chicken on Wheels'''<ref name="mc-2020-06-28-never-eat-part-4">(2020, June 28). [https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/restaurants/collection_42fc28bb-795a-545b-9f92-1457ceeca2be.html "Throwback photos: Madison-area restaurants you'll never eat at again, part 4."] ''madison.com''.</ref><ref name="wsj-1968-05-31-p14">(1968, May 31). DiSalvo's Casa di Pizza, Chicken on Wheels, We Deliver: perch, chicken, shrimp, pizza, sirloin steak, spaghetti; deliveries and restaurant open daily at 5 p.m., closed Sundays and holidays; 255-7249, 306 State St. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 14. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/404631945/ 404631945].</ref>. In 1968 DiSalvo remodeled it and reopened it as '''DiSalvo's Villa Tap''', a bar that the family ran into the late 1970s<ref name="wsj-1968-09-07-p15">(1968, September 7). Now open after complete remodeling: DiSalvo's Villa Tap, 306 State St., 257-0300: bar, pizza, your favorite sandwiches; food service daily 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to closing; carryouts. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 15. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/404587596/ 404587596].</ref><ref name="ct-1977-01-03-p3">(1977, January 3). Sam DiSalvo, 63, died Dec. 31, 1976: one of the owners of the DiSalvo Spaghetti House on Regent St. for many years; also owner of the Villa Tap, 306 State St. ''The Capital Times''. p. 3. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/519817707/ 519817707].</ref>.

==History==
Before DiSalvo, 306 State St. was Stephen Carvello's Chicken on Wheels restaurant. In 1960 it merged with the Coney Island restaurant at 314 State St. as Caranotes, Inc., and the Coney Island's beer license moved to 306 State<ref name="ct-1960-07-27-p4">(1960, July 27). Council business: the Coney Island restaurant, 314 State St., and the Chicken on Wheels restaurant, 306 State St., merge as Caranotes, Inc. (Thomas G. Notes, president; Stephen Carvello, secretary and agent); beer license mo…. ''The Capital Times''. p. 4. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/521638428/ 521638428].</ref><ref name="wsj-1960-09-02-p12">(1960, September 2). Common Council proceedings: the Coney Island class B beer license is cancelled and the same type of license granted to Caranotes, Inc., Stephen J. Carvello, agent, 306 State St. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 12. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/401166493/ 401166493].</ref>. In June 1961 the Capital Times reported that Sam DiSalvo planned to buy the restaurant if the Council approved the transfer of its beer license<ref name="ct-1961-06-06-p4">(1961, June 6). Council agenda: Sam DiSalvo plans to buy the restaurant at 306 State St. if the Council approves transfer of its beer license; it is owned by Caranotes, Inc., Stephen J. Caravello, agent. ''The Capital Times''. p. 4. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/519284761/ 519284761].</ref>. By November 17 "Casa Di Pizza, 306 State St." was hiring waitresses<ref name="wsj-1961-11-17-p34">(1961, November 17). Help wanted: waitress, part time or steady, apply in person after 5, Casa Di Pizza, 306 State St. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 34. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/398358369/ 398358369].</ref>.

A December 1961 ad called it "Di Salvo's Famous Casa di Pizza (The House of Pizza)." It featured spaghetti and French fried shrimp "since 1941," along with a regular menu of pizza, steaks, sandwiches, lasagna and seafood. "Chicken on Wheels" was "our Specialty," with free delivery anywhere in the city. It was open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and until 1:30 a.m. on weekdays, and closed on Tuesdays<ref name="mc-2020-06-28-never-eat-part-4" />. The "since 1941" points to the DiSalvo family's older restaurant at 810 Regent St., which was licensed in 1941<ref name="wsj-1941-06-03-p18">(1941, June 3). Liquor license applications: class B combination restaurant beer and liquor, Disalvo, Cosmo, 810 Regent. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 18. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/405493436/ 405493436].</ref><ref name="ct-1956-09-06-p50">(1956, September 6). Restaurant ads welcoming the Shriners: DiSalvo's, 810 Regent St. (Friday specials); Amato's Holiday House; Troia's Steak House. ''The Capital Times''. p. 50. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522548854/ 522548854].</ref>. Sam DiSalvo's obituary calls it the DiSalvo Spaghetti House<ref name="ct-1977-01-03-p3" />. No pizza has been found in that restaurant's ads.

The ads ran until May 31, 1968. By then the menu was perch, chicken, shrimp, pizza, sirloin steak and spaghetti, and both the deliveries and the restaurant opened daily at 5 p.m.<ref name="wsj-1968-05-31-p14" />

==Villa Tap==
The Villa Tap was the same business under a new name: same owner, same address, same building. On September 7, 1968, it advertised that it was "now open after complete remodeling" as DiSalvo's Villa Tap, a bar with pizza, sandwiches and carryouts. It served food daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. until closing, and it had a new telephone number, 257-0300<ref name="wsj-1968-09-07-p15" />. In September 1969 the Capital Times listed it among the places open to 18-year-olds, with Sam DiSalvo serving beer and spaghetti at "his DiSalvo's Villa Tap"<ref name="ct-1969-09-18-p57">(1969, September 18). Nightlife roundup of places open to 18-year-olds: Sam DiSalvo serves beer and spaghetti at his DiSalvo's Villa Tap, 306 State St., remodeled last year. ''The Capital Times''. p. 57. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/519313906/ 519313906].</ref>.

By October 1970 it had become a student bar. A Capital Times nightlife column said the Villa Tap "was once DiSalvo's Restaurant, featuring pizzas and other Italian specialties." Sam DiSalvo and his wife had turned it over to their son, a student at Madison Business College. He simplified the decor, and students from the college and the nearby vocational school made it their hangout<ref name="ct-1970-10-08-p49">Rettgen, G. (1970, October 8). State Street night life: Paco's, 100 block, owned by Bill Louther and run by veteran restaurateur Joe Troia (Mexican and some Italian food); the Villa Tap at 306 State was once DiSalvo's Restaurant, featuring pizzas and othe…. ''The Capital Times''. p. 49. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/519326278/ 519326278].</ref>. The family still held the Villa Tap's liquor license in 1973<ref name="wsj-1973-05-22-p3">(1973, May 22). Liquor license applications: the DiSalvo family's Villa Tap, 306 State St. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 3. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/405773863/ 405773863].</ref>. Sam DiSalvo died on December 31, 1976; his obituary called him the owner of the Villa Tap, 306 State St.<ref name="ct-1977-01-03-p3" /> The license was renewed again in 1977<ref name="wsj-1977-05-25-p38">(1977, May 25). City of Madison license list, May 1977. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 38.</ref>. When the Villa Tap closed has not been found.

==Pizza==
* 1961: pizza on the "regular menu," next to steaks, sandwiches, lasagna and seafood<ref name="mc-2020-06-28-never-eat-part-4" />.
* 1968: pizza is listed with perch, chicken, shrimp, sirloin steak and spaghetti, for delivery or in the restaurant<ref name="wsj-1968-05-31-p14" />.
* 1968: as the Villa Tap, "Bar • Pizza • Your Favorite Sandwiches," with carryouts<ref name="wsj-1968-09-07-p15" />.

==Trivia==
* A 2020 State Journal photo caption calls it one of the first restaurants to deliver, bringing chicken to the customer's door<ref name="mc-2020-06-28-never-eat-part-4" />. The Chicken on Wheels name was older than DiSalvo's: it belonged to the restaurant he bought<ref name="ct-1960-07-27-p4" />.

==Locations==
* 306 State St. (1961–1968; as the Villa Tap from September 1968 to at least 1977).

==See also==
* [[1960s (decade)]]
* [[Item:Q3141|DiSalvo’s Casa di Pizza in the Madison Pizza Wiki database]]

==Notes==
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