Copies of Tonti’s journals are available in the Library of Congress and the Newberry Library. Tonti even had a Chicago Public School named after him, but it has since been renamed to reflect the Hispanic majority in the Southwest Side neighborhood.
The front page of Tontitown s website reads, "A Little Town, A Lot of Tradition." Grape symbolism sprawls across park signs and the local water tower, an homage to the Italian immigrants who put down the town s roots.
Henry Piazza remembers the Tontitown Grape Festival when it featured 25 cent outdoor movies and glass bottles of Coca-Cola, long before there were concerts and carnival rides.
Every year since 2007, “Thirty-One Days of Italians” has provided a list of accomplished Italian Americans and Italians to honor for each day in Octob.