LINCOLN SQUARE — Trattoria Trullo's owner and staff have been locked out of the Lincoln Square eatery following a dispute between the restaurant and the building's landlord.
A March 8 post to the trattoria's Facebook page announced the Italian eatery at 4767 N. Lincoln Ave. would be closed "until further notice."
A follow-up post, dated March 10 and written in broken English, declared that owner Giovanni DeNigris "try very hard to come back."
The post continued: "No jobs. No place. No more see my beautiful. Family and friend Staff. Customers. Why why. Can be. Fix. All I know in my life is. Restaurant. Maybe I am not the best !!when come to paper and legal. Issue. ... Need. All you. Help. To talk to landlord. What ever take. To let me go. Inn. Instead give or keep close. Is very sad."
Trattoria Trullo sits vacant while the restaurant's owner and the building's landlord battle in court. DNAinfo/Patty Wetli
Contacted by DNAinfo Chicago, the building's landlord Louis Palivos responded, "It's very awkward they would post inaccuracies."
Palivos and DeNigris have been locked in a pair of lawsuits dating back to last summer.
According to Daniel Hawkins, lawyer for the restaurant, Trattoria Trullo filed a lawsuit against the landlord Aug. 4, 2014, concerning a dispute over a potential buyer.
In November 2014, Palivos countered with an eviction case.
"They didn't pay the rent. Their lease has expired," he said.
Trattoria Trullo's version differs.
"The tenants thought they had renewed properly, the landlord said no," Hawkins said.
The case was decided in Palivos favor and he was granted an order of possession.
"Before the order was enforced by the sheriff the landlord changed the locks," Hawkins said.
Trattoria Trullo is appealing the court's decision and the property will remain vacant during that process, he said.
DeNigris originally opened Trattoria Trullo in Evanston and moved the restaurant to Lincoln Square eight years ago.
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