Enzo Tribo, the founder of Enzo’s and CarmelCorn, died leaving a lasting legacy in the Chicago Heights community.

Known for his Italian beef and caramel corn, Tribo’s business was a staple in the city and one of the last remaining landmarks in its once-vibrant downtown before closing last year. His death was announced Sunday on the store’s Facebook page.

“He was a true icon in our community, known for his warm smile, generous spirit and unwavering dedication to serving the best Italian beef and sausage,” the post reads. “Enzo was more than just a businessman, he was a friend to all who walked through his doors.”

Enzo Tribo’s wife, Nita Tribo, also known as “Mrs. CarmelCorn,” died at 86 in September.

Nita ran the CarmelCorn shop while Enzo operated the Italian beef establishment that had served the community since 1946. Later, the two businesses merged to become Enzo’s and CarmelCorn.

In 2011, Enzo Tribo’s daughter, Lisa Hallberg, and her son Kyle Hallberg took over the family business with the aim of preserving the landmark storefront. However, the CarmelCorn space was later transformed into a gaming lounge to help boost revenue, with popcorn made in the back and sold up front, Lisa Hallberg told the Daily Southtown after her mother’s death.

At his Italian beef establishment, family members said Tribo “had a way of making everyone feel welcome, whether they were a regular customer or a first-time visitor.”

“His passion for his craft and his love for the community were evident in everything he did,” the store’s Facebook post reads. “He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, loyal customers and the entire Chicago Heights community.”

His store and the Carmelcorn shop were his “pride and joy, and he poured his heart and soul into making them special places,” the post reads.

Nita Tribo continued to work at the storefront part-time until she was 80, and then became her husband’s primary caregiver.

Nita Tribo’s younger sister, Pamela Sebastian Ridge, and Hallberg previously told the Southtown that in his final years, Enzo struggled with memory loss. To help him remember, Nita would write handwritten notes on any scrap of paper she could find, reminding him of tasks like taking his pills before his coffee.

Hallberg and Sebastian Ridge described Nita as a devoted caregiver and a talented cook, often making Enzo his favorite Italian dishes, even at 11 a.m. That, they said, became her full-time job.

“He always called her ‘my baby,’” Hallberg recalled.

Nita and Enzo were married for 63 years before Nita’s death in September, and raised four children, John Tribo, Lisa Hallberg, Robert Tribo and Renee Gough, according to her obituary.

While the two were dedicated business owners, Hallberg and Sebastian Ridge said Nita and Enzo were also avid antique hunters.

“They appreciated the old things and the stories you could think about that went with them,” Sebastian Ridge said.

More than 150 people shared condolences and stories on the Facebook post recalling when they frequented Enzo’s and CarmelCorn. Some said the store was a significant part of their childhood, growing up on Enzo’s Italian beef and sausage combos with cheese fries, or grabbing an Italian beef sandwich along with a bag of carmel corn. Many said they visited the store until the day it closed in March 2024.

While family members cherished decades of memories at the downtown Chicago Heights holdout, the store became too expensive to continue operating, Kyle Hallberg previously told the Southtown.

Though surviving another year wasn’t in the cards, the couple is remembered for the stories and memories people made while frequenting the store that survived for decades, serving many generations of avid lovers of Enzo’s beef and Nita’s carmel corn.

smoilanen@chicagotribune.com