Brides, schools switch venues over concern of Antone's closure

March 16, 2017 at 12:09a.m.

Phone disconnected; brides, schools unsure about security deposits

BOARDMAN

With uncertainty swirling around Antone’s Banquet Centre, Lori Crowl decided she couldn’t wait until her May wedding day to see if the facility would still be open for her reception.

“I haven’t received a phone call or letter or email,” Crowl said. “I tried to call the other day, and the phone is disconnected.”

So, Crowl switched her venue. Now, she is concerned she will not be able to get her $1,000 deposit back.

Crowl joins other brides and area school districts who are unsure if Antone’s, a banquet hall at 8578 Market St. that has been in business for 20-plus years, is open.

Ross Scianna, owner of Antone’s, told The Vindicator this week that his venue remains open. The phone to the venue is disconnected, leaving customers to wonder why and how they can get in contact with Antone’s about their scheduled events.

Scianna could not be reached to comment on Wednesday.

In February, rumors circulated on social media that Antone’s was closing, but Scianna remained adamant that the business would remain open. A former employee, however, told The Vindicator she was instructed by Scianna to tell those with events planned that the banquet hall was closing.

On Wednesday, two local school districts confirmed to The Vindicator that they had to revisit plans for their high-school proms due to issues with Antone’s.

Last month, Poland Seminary High School opted to move its May 5 prom to The Georgetown, ending a years-long run at Antone’s.

Prom adviser Christine Costianes said news reports about the business prompted her to reach out to an Antone’s employee Feb. 17 to ask if the banquet center was closing. The employee reportedly responded that same day and said that the business would close within the next few days, and offered recommendations about where the school could move its event.

“Even though he [Scianna] was disputing that, whether they were closing or not, we did not want to be caught off guard a week before prom without a place,” Costianes said.

The school did not lose any money. School officials said they were happy with the service the district received from Antone’s over the years.

“Our prom has always been there. They’d been very accommodating, but when this occurred it just didn’t make sense to roll the dice,” High School Principal Kevin Snyder said. “They’ve been nothing but great to use, but we didn’t feel comfortable that things were moving in the right direction.”

Campbell High School’s junior class advisers called Antone’s on Tuesday to ensure the availability of the hall for the students’ May 12 prom and found that the phone line had been disconnected.

Campbell’s Class of 2018 put down a $500 deposit for the prom. Campbell has not made a request for a return on its deposit at this time, Superintendent Matthew Bowen said Wednesday, though the school is exploring other options for its prom.

“We need to be proactive, our advisers are making every effort to contact the hall to guarantee our students can enjoy a well-deserved prom which they worked so very hard to fundraise for,” Bowen said.

Alycia Trekur of Liberty moved her wedding reception venue and change her wedding date in fear that Antone’s Banquet Centre will not be open come fall.

Now, Trekur is concerned she will not be able to get back the deposit of $2,080 she put down for Antone’s. She’s working to cut costs to make up for the lost funds.

“At this point, we are devastated,” she said. “We can’t let it ruin our wedding.”

Trekur went to Antone’s last week to try to get her deposit back. At that time, she says, she was told there are potential new owners coming in who will honor her contract, but if she wanted to get her money back she would have to talk to the owner. When she returned to Antone’s to talk to the owner about her deposit, she says no one was there and the phone had been disconnected.

“I am Greek and we are having a Greek and Lebanese wedding, and [Antone’s] looked so ethnic,” she said. “It was everything I wanted.”

Antone’s history dates back to 1961 when Helen Scianna Gianfrancesco, Ross Scianna’s mother, opened Antone’s Restaurant and Confetti Lounge on Market Street in Youngstown, according to information on the company’s website.

Scianna started working at a restaurant at a young age, working as a dishwasher and eventually helping to develop recipes with his mother.

The Market Street location has been there for 28 years.