R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Il Sorrento, one of the premier Italian restaurants
 1-2     in Dallas, will soon celebrate its 50th year of continuous
 1-3     operation, and it is indeed a privilege to pay tribute to Mario
 1-4     Messina, the owner of this venerable establishment; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, A Dallas institution, Il Sorrento has been providing
 1-6     fine dining experiences for North Texas residents for half a
 1-7     century, maintaining the highest levels of service and quality, and
 1-8     introducing Dallasites to the joys and delights of traditional
 1-9     Italian cuisine; and
1-10           WHEREAS, In 1950, long before the current caffeine craze,
1-11     Mr. Messina opened Il Sorrento as the city's first sidewalk cafe
1-12     and server of traditional espresso; no mere spaghetti-and-meatball
1-13     eatery, Il Sorrento has transcended stereotypical Italian-American
1-14     cooking by offering classic Old World fare that continues to
1-15     satisfy the restaurant's legion of regular customers, while still
1-16     captivating the uninitiated; and
1-17           WHEREAS, In the late 1960s, Il Sorrento moved to its current
1-18     location and catered to celebrities such as Vic Damone, Tony
1-19     Bennett, Larry Hagman, Carol Channing, and Sonny and Cher, though
1-20     Mr. Messina attributes much of his success to the fact that he
1-21     treats every guest as a star; and
1-22           WHEREAS, A World War II veteran and former Fighting Irish
1-23     halfback, Mr. Messina was born in Dallas, though he was raised in
1-24     Los Angeles; after a five-month ordeal as a prisoner of war in Nazi
 2-1     Germany, he returned home; prompted by the paucity of food
 2-2     available during his imprisonment, he began his venture into the
 2-3     restaurant business, and he hasn't slowed down since; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, In the touch-and-go world of the restaurateur, half
 2-5     a century is an eternity, yet Mr. Messina and Il Sorrento have not
 2-6     only endured, but thrived, and his legacy of business savvy and
 2-7     culinary contributions should be noted at this time; now,
 2-8     therefore, be it
 2-9           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-10     Legislature hereby honor Mario Messina and congratulate him on his
2-11     50 years of success as the owner and operator of Il Sorrento
2-12     restaurant; and, be it further
2-13           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-14     prepared for Mr. Messina to commemorate this grand occasion and as
2-15     an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
                                                                     Goolsby
                                             _______________________________
                                                   Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.R. No. 726 was adopted by the House on May
         8, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House