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He Served Up Tasty Cubans And Kindness

Tribune file photo by GARY RINGS (1997)

Angelo Cacciatore, left, talks about the good old days of getting started as new owner and president of the Silver Rings Cafe, Tim Booth, listens.

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By SARAH HOYE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 3, 2008

Updated: 07/03/2008 08:26 am

TAMPA - Angelo Cacciatore, a Tampa native and founder of the Silver Ring Cafe in Ybor City, died Sunday. He was 90.

Since 1947, the Silver Ring and Cacciatore, who opened the cafe after returning from World War II, were famous for making Cuban sandwiches, a staple for Tampa residents and tourists.

Cacciatore sold the Silver Ring to its current owner, Tim Booth, in 1985.

Cacciatore, nicknamed "Speedy Brown" for his constant moving, is remembered by friends and family for his kindness.

"He was a wonderful man. He was great to me, great to our daughters, and our grandchildren adored him," said his wife of 59 years, Lydia, and mother of Ember Prida and Michele Reyno. "He was always speedy, always here and there; he ran rings around the workers."

The couple met in 1947 when Cacciatore had an unusual way of getting the attention of his future wife.

"I worked at a hospital on Bayshore Boulevard and he came in every week with ailments he didn't have," the 80-year-old Lydia said with a laugh.

Cacciatore was an avid New York Yankees fan, enjoyed fishing and watching boxing, and was well-liked, she said.

"You would not believe the crowd here yesterday; the friends we have are so special," Lydia Cacciatore said of the funeral attendance on Tuesday. "I have to get used to this now. I'm sure going to miss him."

There are Silver Ring locations in Riverview, Lakeland and Land O' Lakes. Booth closed the Ybor one in May but plans to open a new cafe in Wesley Chapel.

Booth continues to make the Cuban sandwich just like Cacciatore: Cuban bread, smoked ham, Genoa salami and Swiss cheese.

"It's all about him. It's his recipe and his legacy, and I'm just carrying the torch," Booth said. "He was very special to me and is a part of the history of this city. His death hit hard."

"He was very warm and treated me like a son," Booth said. "He was a happy guy. He had a little temper if he got mad, but he was generous to a fault."

Researcher Melanie Koon contributed to this report. Reporter Sarah Hoye can be reached at shoye@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7832.

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