Food distributor sues Ross Scianna for $292K

VINDICATOR EXCLUSIVE

By KALEA HALL

khall@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A restaurant food distributor has sued Ross Scianna, former Antone’s Banquet Centre owner, for a nearly $300,000 unpaid loan balance.

Hillcrest Egg and Cheese Co. of Cleveland filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Hillcrest claims Scianna has an unpaid balance of $292,143 on a $387,212 loan Scianna received from the company through an agreement signed in October 2015. The loan repayment was secured by the collateral of Scianna’s $350,000 life-insurance policy.

Scianna’s banquet business at 8578 Market St., which is now shuttered, and Antone’s Italian Grille on Boardman-Canfield Road, are named in the lawsuit, as well as Revolutions in Nutrition, a company established in 2011 that provided meals to both families and senior citizens, according to its website. That business was also located at the Market Street location.

After weeks of rumors the banquet center would close, and Scianna denying them, he turned over the deed to the center to Cortland Savings and Banking Co., the mortgage holder. Antone’s Italian Grille remains open.

Through the agreement Scianna made with Hillcrest, he was to receive a 3 percent rebate on monthly purchases if each business purchased an average of $2,000 per order from Hillcrest, according to the lawsuit.

When the businesses earned rebates, Hillcrest would apply the rebates to the balance owed.

From October 2015 through February 2017, Scianna and his businesses regularly purchased food from Hillcrest, but since Feb. 23, the purchases have stopped thus leading to a default on the agreement, according to the lawsuit.

Hillcrest did not want to comment for this story. Scianna did not respond to requests for comment.

Antone’s Banquet Centre was opened on Market Street for 28 years. In February, concern the banquet center was closing started to circulate throughout the community.

Then, the former event coordinator came forward and told reporters she was instructed by Scianna to tell customers the center was closing.

Scianna continued to deny the business was closing. Last Wednesday, Scianna turned the center’s deed over to Cortland Bank.

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.