When Angela Gentile came to America from Tortorici, Sicily in 1921 to visit her brother, little did she realize the path her life was to take. Instead of returning to her native village in Sicily, she married James Chiolino (1895-1977) and settled in Ironwood, Michigan, where they raised their family. She would never have imagined that one day, after her children were grown, she would build a business of her own, an 'Italian Restaurant', at a time in their lives when retirement would have been paramount.
       However, that is exactly what she and James did.  In 1954, they sold their businesses, including the Ironwood Sport Bowl, moved to Minocqua and purchased this little bar on beautiful Curtis Lake.  This little bar had been closed for many years.
       It was a lovely property with a beautiful view, but the building was in shambles.  An almost impossible task of rebuilding and repairing was a joy to Jim, "Papa", who proceeded to do just that.  He maintained the property and enjoyed the behind the scenes labor for his entire life. He never wanted to get involved in the actual daily functions of the business, as he felt he had been a PR man long enough and wanted to do what he enjoyed most: fixing and repairing things, including employee's dolls, skates, appliances, or anything they gave him.  They all loved him dearly.
       Mama, on the other hand, discovered the joy of personal contact with people, and her personality was a diamond in this new venture of hers.
       They named the business, The Bella Vista (Beautiful View). She began cooking pizzas for her customers and the fever of this "fun venture" led her into cooking many foods from her native Sicily.
       One of her earlier customers, Doc Mellis, a ventriloquist, began calling her "Mama" - the name would remain with her forever. The business then became "Mama's Bella Vista" and later just "MAMA'S."  She went from serving about 10 people a day to remodeling, adding space, growing to serving hundreds a day - and loving every minute of it.
       In the early sixties they were joined by their son, Thomas, and daughter, Irene Clothier, to help them manage and run the ever growing business.  As always, Mama loved visiting with her beloved customers, a custom she endeared her entire life.  Customers would wait for her to visit their tables to exchange greetings and compliment her on the delicious food.
       Mama's reputation grew steadily.  She had been honored on many occasions; being written up in the Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel, and the Chicago Tribune, where they covered her graciousness, culinary arts, the restaurant's beautiful view, and her ever growing popularity.
       Her employees were very special to Mama and were made to feel important to the entire family - a reason why Mama's has had the good fortune of having several 20 year employees. They represented her and in return she made them part of her family.
       The family is still operating Mama's in basically the same way that Mama did, trying to make all of the guests feel "at home away from home" as she did so well.
       Tom's wife Judy, Mama's grandson Tony and his wife Cheryl are all physically involved in operating the restaurant, still serving her famous recipes, and trying to convey Mama's message to all of her beloved customers...

                             ENJOY!