#641 - Vitos, Seattle - 5/14/2008

The Moonspinners perform at Vito's Seattle
New Years Eve 2013

It doesn't seem to make much sense for me to recapitulate the various articles already written about Seattle icon Vito's. So I will instead recommend reading articles like those from   historylink.org and postalley, with a small number of pull quotes. E.g. the HistoryLink article includes:

'Vito's was a beloved Seattle restaurant for more than four decades, from its opening in 1953 until owner Vito Santoro's declining health forced him to sell the business in 1994. Situated close to First Hill hospitals, low-income apartment houses, and Seattle University, and several blocks up Madison Street from City Hall, Vito's was a smoky, convivial clubhouse where politicians and lawyers rubbed elbows with cabbies, bookies, and priests, and where regulars hob-nobbed over platters of Italian food, jugs of wine, and stiff drinks.... Although Vito's went into steep decline after Santoro sold out, the restaurant was reborn in 2010 under new owners Greg Lundgren and Jeff Scott, who remodeled Vito's with a nod to its colorful past.'

Jimmy Santoro, Vito's, Seattle, WA - 1960s
(Photo via HistoryLink.org)

And:

"Rumors abound of hanky-panky in the dark recesses of Vito's. Reputed gangsters and other unsavories frequented the place, as did bookies and gamblers. It was easy to make a wager if one were so inclined, that much is known. When high-stakes Liar's Poker became popular, small fortunes were won and lost in the Vagabond Room. When The Untouchables became a television hit in 1960, the restaurant ran a pool each week on how many people would be killed in each episode. The bettor with the right number of corpses got the money."

The modern version of Vito's was a great combination of old school and modern. But as Wikipedia notes:

"In 2021, Vito's suffered a catastrophic fire that caused it to close temporarily. On January 1, 2024, a second fire occurred in the building while Vito's was still in the process of resolving insurance claim issues. The building is slated for demolition, and Vito's has closed permanently."

Jimmy and Vito Santoro, c.1965
(Photo via HistoryLink.org)

Vito's, Seattle, WA - Sep 26, 2014

927 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 397-4053

Est. May 8, 1953 - Building constructed: 1902 - Closed June 12, 2023

Previous bars in this location: Wood's Cafe (Vagabond Room) 
Web site: vitosseattle.com - instagram 
Reviews: historylink - postalley - seattlemet - wikipedia