Omaha Exploration

Living in Omaha’s Little Italy neighborhood, the Cascio brothers, Alfred and Joe, became well known for the steakhouse they opened in 1946. They were sons of Filadelfo and Virginia Cascio who had immigrated from Carlentini, Sicily.

Prior to opening the restaurant, Alfred, the oldest, was arrested at age 18 due to his involvement in bootlegging just before Prohibition ended in 1933. After the 18th Amendment was repealed, he went into business for himself, opening the Rinky Dink Tavern at 1916 South 6th Street. His younger brother, Joseph, meanwhile, worked in the meatpacking plants of South Omaha before serving in the Army during World War II.

Successfully operating his bar and grill, Alfred later went into business with his brother after the war ended. Together, they opened Cascio’s Steakhouse in 1946. The restaurant was located in a former drugstore that included a second-floor apartment at 1620 South 10th Street. It quickly gained a reputation in the surrounding Little Italy neighborhood for its steak, pasta, and pizza.

In the early days, the brothers often worked 18-hour days and were joined by their sister, Rose, who first made her goudarooni, a double-crusted pizza, at the restaurant. In 1965, when Rose opened Big Fred’s Pizza with her husband, Fred Bruning, she added the item to her menu under the name Goodie Roonie.

Meanwhile, Cascio’s continued to operate from the two-story building for more than 30 years. That came to an end in 1978, when 60 firefighters battled an out-of-control blaze caused by arson that ultimately destroyed the restaurant. By 1980, the brothers reopened in a brand-new building at the same location. With a capacity of more than 1,000, the massive 36,000-square-foot building had seven party rooms, making it a popular spot for weddings, anniversaries, and other special events.

Following an argument in 1986, the brothers went their separate ways, at which point Joseph sold his shares to Alfred. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Alfred continued operating the restaurant for a time before leasing it to someone outside the family. Shortly before his uncle’s death in 1999, Larry Cascio bought the restaurant, thereby returning its operations to the family that founded it. Joseph, the restaurant’s co-founder and Larry’s father, passed away in 2012. Larry had extensive experience at the restaurant, having worked there since he was eight years old. He briefly closed the restaurant for renovations and, upon reopening, brought back its longtime chef of 25 years.

Larry continued to operate the restaurant for nine years before retiring in 2008. He then turned it over to his son, Alfie, who, like his father before him, began working there at a young age. The current owner represents the third generation of the Cascio family to run the restaurant.

Cascio’s credits its success to hard work, smart decisions, family, and loyal employees, some of whom joined after Anthony’s and Lo Sole Mio closed. Customers, many of whom live nearby and walk to the restaurant, continue to return because of its original recipes and food quality. The restaurant serves only Angus beef, and everything is prepared from scratch. Steaks are aged 21 days and cut in-house, pasta is imported from Italy, spaghetti sauce simmers for eight hours, and breadsticks are baked on the premises.

Eighty years after it first opened, Cascio’s remains the last of the original 19 Italian steakhouses in Omaha. According to Cascio’s website published sometime ago, “When you give good food, great service, and their money’s worth, they return. If you’re open for 65 years, you’ve got to be doing something right.”

Johnny’s is one of just five classic steakhouses that remain open in Omaha. In order, they are Johnny’s Cafe (1922), Gorat’s (1944), Cascio’s (1946), The Drover (1968), and Brother Sebastian’s (1977).

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Sources

• Omaha World-Herald archives
• https://www.casciossteakhouse.com/aboutus
• https://www.omahamagazine.com/2022/11/01/415806/cascio-s-steakhouse-76-years-of-sizzle