Burr Ridge Restaurateur Indicted In Gambling Ring Case

BURR RIDGE, IL – Filippo "Gigi" Rovito is known in Burr Ridge as the owner of a popular Italian restaurant with a social media presence.

But the federal government sees Rovito as taking part in an illegal gambling ring. Among other things, court documents state that Rovito promised to use violence to collect a debt.

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A couple of weeks ago, Rovito, who owns Capri Ristorante and the Are We Live lounge in Burr Ridge, was indicted along with 21 others in northwest Indiana.

Rovito was charged with operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means.

The federal government says it would seize the property of defendants that was derived from illegal gambling proceeds.

The FBI's case centers on what it calls the "Gerodemos Gambling Organization," which authorities said dated back to 2021.

The Gerodemos family owns Gino's Steakhouse in Merrillville, Indiana, and Paragon restaurant in Hobart, Indiana.

The FBI said the operation involved websites and phone calls to sports bettors. The organization is accused of extending lines of credit to bettors, with its agents collecting debts.

While Rovito was in Florida in late 2024, James Gerodemos sent him a man's image, according to federal court records.

Gerodemos, who said the Florida man was a "scumbag" who owed $30,000, promised Rovito half the proceeds if he got the money, authorities said.

In June 2025, James Gerodemos and others went to Capri Ristorante in Burr Ridge to discuss the Florida victim who owed money, according to the indictment.

Authorities said that during the meeting, Rovito, who was in Florida, called Gerodemos and asked, "What's this motherf----- look like?"

Gerodemos said the victim goes to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Fort Lauderdale all the time.

Rovito was at Hard Rock and Facetimed himself walking up to bald men there and asked whether they were the victim, court records said.

Gerodemos told the others that Rovito stated he would "knock" the victim's "lights out and shove his head into a machine," authorities said.

Gerodemos told his group that "the guy is nuts," referring to Rovito, the records said.

Rovito kept sending Gerodemos photos and asking if "that was him,"according to the feds.

According to Burr Ridge police, Rovito is a convicted felon with multiple convictions.

Court records show the victim of the 17-year-old Rovito's 1991 sex crime was a 14-year-old girl. He was released from prison in 2002 after about five years, police said.

In 2018, Rovito donated $5,000 to Grasso's unsuccessful attorney general campaign.

But the mayor returned the money after a downstate TV station called the donation into question. The station said Rovito was named in FBI mafia investigations.

Capri Ristorante's dinner menu features a plate in the mayor's honor called "Linguini alla Mayor Grasso."

Rovito's longtime slogan is "If you're my friend, you will never starve."

He couldn't be reached for immediate comment Thursday morning.