Owner of well-known Cicero pizzeria slain

A man who immigrated from Sicily in 1968 and worked odd jobs before opening a pizzeria was shot to death when he confronted a robber at his suburban Chicago eatery.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office announced Thursday that 64-year-old Giovanni Donancricchia died from a gunshot to the chest.

Cicero police say Donancricchia and his wife were closing the restaurant early Thursday when the robber came through the back door and demanded money. Giovanni Donancricchia was shot when he confronted the assailant and told his wife to call police.

Donancricchia’s Albano’s Pizzeria recently made the Top 10 of the Travel Channel’s best places to chow down.

Family members say they’re not sure what will happen to the pizzeria. It will be closed for several days.