The Bootlegger Italian Bistro

In the early 1900's Luigi and Maria built a large boarding house in Canada where they provided room and board for fourteen boarders. It was during the prohibition era in the United States and since Luigi served his homemade wine in the boarding house, he became known in the neighborhood as "The Bootlegger". At the age of nine, their granddaughter, Maria was sent to live with her grandparents to help with the cooking and cleaning in the boarding house. In 1936, at the age of 19, Maria met and married Albert Perry, a young man from across the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, New York. In 1943 along with their baby daughter Lorraine they moved West to a little-known, dry and dusty town called Las Vegas, Nevada. By 1944, Maria's exceptional culinary skills nurtured by her grandmother and Al's affable, outgoing personality led them into the restaurant business. In 1973, Maria and Al joined forces with their daughter, Lorraine and built The Bootlegger in honor of Maria's grandfather.