Gattos Make Pilgrimage to Canton to See 'Sir Gatto'

CANTON, MI – All that remains of the iconic Roman Forum, the restaurant Italian immigrant Gregory Gatto ran for more than 38 years, is the 9-foot-and-then-some knight’s suit of armor that stood sentry over the entrance.

Three generations of Gatto’s family made a pilgrimage to Canton at the invitation of Jack Schifko and his son, Jake, who have established their own restaurant tradition at the site at 41601 Ford Road, The Canton Observer reports.

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The Schifkos have opened the Black Rock Bar & Grill, the third in Michigan for the family-owned restaurant that also has locations in Novi and Hartland, in the space.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Gatto, 84, said during a Jan. 28 tribute. “I’m really gratified.”

Legions of diners at the old Gatto restaurant have had their pictures taken in front of the suit of armor. When Jack Schifko learned that, he knew he had to find a place for the knight in his new restaurant.

“This was important to us because the Roman Forum and the Gatto family were such a fixture in Canton,” he told The Observer.

Go to hometownlife.com to read more about the tribute to the Gatto family.

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