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Some call it the "noon hour rush" - but for Tony Spoletini it's play time! Much of the personality that is the Spolumbo's Italian Deli comes from Tony who is a cheerful, approachable host spending his time greeting and chatting with those who've dropped in for lunch. Tony's is the face Calgarians have seen on many of the local sports commentary shows, heard his voice on local radio and may have laughed with him as he MC'd events in the community. Tony's speaking engagements give him the opportunity to do what he enjoys - making people laugh.
 From Tony's days as Fullback #27 for the Calgary Stampeders to today coaching a staff of close to 40 in the Spolumbo's Deli and Catering divisions his spirit has come from a firm hold on family, family values and steadfast friendships. In speaking about the early days of Spolumbo's Deli with its 10 seats and 3 parking spots - he feels he owes their success to the support of others, a strong belief and much persistence. Anyone who has met Tony knows that a lot is also owed to his humble and infectious personality.
This Article about Tony appeared in The Calgary Herald on January 16, 2004.
by Heath McCoy
You are what you eat? The clothes make the man? Maybe. but nothing's more telling than the music you listen to. For the next six weeks we profile noteworthy Calgarians from all walks of life via their CD collections.
Who
Tony Spoletini, 38, former Calgary Stampeders fullback and co-owner of Spolumbo's Fine Foods and Deli. For the unitiated, Spolumbo's in Inglewood is the home of the best Italian sausage this side of Rome. Tony also played football with the University of Calgary Dinosaurs and the Edmonton Eskimos in the '80s.
A Day In The Life
"I get to work about 4:30 a.m. have a coffee and talk business. At 6 I go for a workout at B.J.'s Gym. I come back to the office, start doing paper work, calling the suppliers. . . . At 11:30 I become the world's oldest busser. I bus tables for the lunch rush, talk to customers, make sure their lunch is good. . . .
"I pick up my boys after school, we eat supper, do homework, maybe play some air hockey or a little football. Then I put 'em to bed and I'm not far behind. I usually fall asleep around 10 watching ESPN."
CD Profiling
- A classic rock nut, Tony's CD collection resembles a CJAY 92 playlist. (In fact, the 265-pounder pumps iron religiously to deejay Gerry Forbes' morning show). Highlights of Tony's collection include: Kiss, Destroyer; The Eagles, Hotel California; Cheap Trick, Live At Budokan; The Best of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (So Far); Prince, Purple Rain; U2, The Joshua Tree. His newest fave is No Doubt: The Singles Collection 1992-2003.
- Tony also loves his Motown 20th Anniversary Collection. "In my second season with the Eskimo's I sang (Smokey Robinson's) The Tracks Of My Tears at a rookie show. It went over real big."
- "Now that I'm older I appreciate old Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. I listen to The Three Tenors too."
Favourite CD for a Saturday night
"AC/DC's Highway To Hell and Back In Black. AC/DC was huge in the locker room. It used to get us jacked before games. John Mandarich (former Eskimo), who passed away a few years back, he always had AC/DC blaring. He had this black Benz and the license plate said Back in Black. BKN-BLK."
Favourite CD for a Sunday night
"The Motown stuff. That's good for romancing too."
Most embarrassing CD
"When I was in high school I was given Olivia Newton-John's If You Love Me, Let Me Know and Donny Osmond's Puppy Love. Those got put away real fast but I never really had the heart to throw 'em away because they were gifts from a family member."
What do you sing in the shower?
"The Commodores, that 'Easy like Sunday morning' song(Easy)."
Ideal cellphone jingle
"The theme from Monday Night Football would be cool. Or the riff from Kiss's Detroit Rock City."
Soundtrack to Tony's life
- I Love It Loud (Kiss) - A slab of classic metal by one of Tony's favourite bands that just happens to sound like a T-Rex stomping across a football field.
- TNT (AC/DC) - It's not only a fightin' song, it's a first-rate rallying cry.
- Supernaut (Black Sabbath) - That industrial strength riff, those lumbering drums, Ozzy's war whoops. This should be the NFL theme song.
- Let It Roll (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) - Truckin' music by a working man's band, for a working man who's built like a truck.
- That's Amore (Dean Martin) - Never quite sure whether Martin was crooning about love or Italian chow here, but it makes a trip to Spolumbo's seem mighty appealing.
Suggested upgrades for Tony's CD collection
- A lover of fine soul Tony would love Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up On Me. It doesn't any finer.
- If he digs his Motown collection for its "romancing" qualities he ought to climb aboard the love train that is the work of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff on Philly Super Soul Hits.
- If Purple Rain's a fave you can't lose with Prince: The Hits 1 and 2. Another love train. A really kinky one.
- A member of the Kiss Army at heart, Tony should pick up the tribute album Kiss My Ass. Not a great CD, but Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder's take on Gene Simmons (Deuce) is a must.
- A classic rock buff without Supertramp's Breakfast In America? For shame!
- The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection. You want a shower song? Try Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (and the other 29 pop gems on this set).
- Sloan, Navy Blues. Sloan's take on classic rock, from AC/DC and Thin Lizzy to The Beatles and the Partridge Family. You'll love it.
- Randy Bachman ripped into some old BTO last year in a Vancouver nightclub with hot Swedish rockers Soundtrack of Our Lives as his backup band. Cool stuff. You can buy it on randybachman.com.
- FUBAR: The Album. The soundtrack to the Calgary-produced headbanger mockumentary of the same name, this album is a blast with today's Canuck rockers covering Canuck rock from the '70s and '80s. Chixdiggit do Loverboy, Sloan does Rush, and Sum 41 tackles Helix. Your inner rocker will love it Tony. Give'r.
hmccoy@theherald.canwest.com
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