Dental Implants Near Livonia, MI

LIVONIA — As the final rush of orders came in and the ovens worked overtime, something extraordinary happened at Corsi’s Restaurant during its last day in business: Former employees, some who hadn’t worn a Corsi’s apron in two decades, stepped in to help out.

“They just showed up to say goodbye,” said co-owner Penny Corsi. “And when they saw we needed some help, they started working – baking pizzas, cleaning tables, doing whatever needed to be done. It was great. That’s the kind of place this has always been.”

After nearly 70 years serving homemade Italian fare to generations of loyal customers, Corsi’s officially closed June 30.

The closure comes on the heels of Chin's Restaurant shutting its doors in April, marking the end of another beloved Livonia eatery that had served the community for seven decades.

Corsi's, located at 27910 Seven Mile Road, has been sold to Detroit restaurateur Bernard Webster, who plans to renovate the space and reopen under a new name and expanded concept.

Fear not: although some details are still taking shape, Webster says the famous pizza recipe will stay.

“We’re ecstatic,” Corsi said. “We’ve been trying to sell the business for four years. The outpouring of love we received this past week was overwhelming. We’re just so grateful.”

The restaurant’s final days, she said, were a whirlwind of standing-room-only crowds. Five generations of one family came to say goodbye, and longtime customers swapped stories.

“It was emotional,” Corsi said. “We didn’t want to publicize the closing because we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to care for everyone properly, and that’s exactly what happened. But people were so patient, so kind.”

For server Samantha Hamilton, a Farmington Hills resident who worked at Corsi’s for nearly a decade, it was the people who kept her coming back.

“I absolutely loved it,” Hamilton said. “They treated me just like family. That’s why I stayed so long. It was a great environment. Always laughing. It felt like home.”

That sentiment is one the Corsi family worked hard to maintain over the years. The restaurant began as a carryout spot near Eight Mile and Inkster in 1958, founded by Italian immigrants Rocco and Adelia Corsi.

Over time, the business expanded and moved to its current location, where it became a local landmark for weddings, banquets and generations of family dinners.

The restaurant was truly a family affair. Louie Corsi, son of founders Rocco and Adelia Corsi, met his future wife, Penny, while they were both working at the restaurant.

His brother, Dean, also grew up in the business and eventually met his wife Karen there, as well.

The two couples went on to run Corsi’s together, raising their children in and around the kitchen, where folding napkins and setting up banquet tables became part of everyday family life.

Even their granddaughters have helped out.

The new owner, Webster, said he plans to keep some of the old – including the pizza team – while bringing in some new elements and menu items.

“We’re going to renovate everything,” he said, noting he's planning to keep as many employees as possible and hopes permits, work and other necessities will go quickly so staff won't be out of work for long.

“It’ll be called Truth Banquet and Mr. B’s Pizza, Ribs and Soul Food."

Webster, who operates Mr. B's Soul Food in Detroit and a banquet venue in Southfield, said he's planning live jazz nights, a sports-bar-style atmosphere, and a menu that blends classic Italian with southern comfort food.

For the founding family, it's all good news. After decades of running a bustling restaurant, Corsi said she and her partners are more than ready for retirement.

She and Louie plan to spend more time with their five grandchildren – happily embracing their role as the family’s unofficial “Uber drivers” – while also taking advantage of the family condo in Florida.

Travel is also high on the list, including a long-awaited trip to Italy to visit extended family.

Retirement, Corsi noted, is “not bittersweet.”

“We’re ready,” she said. “But we are so appreciative of every single person who’s supported us.”

Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com

The driver charged with killing a Livonia 3-year-old with her car and then leaving the scene is held on a $600,000 bond and her defense attorney said she didn't even realize what had happened.

LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - A woman accused of fleeing after hitting and killing a boy in Livonia last weekend did not have a valid license, according to charges issued Thursday.

Tammy Sandoval, 55, of Mount Morris, is charged with one count of operating while license suspended, revoked, or denied – causing death, two counts of operating while license suspended, revoked, or denied – causing serious injury, one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident while at fault – causing death, and two counts of failure to stop at the scene of an accident – causing serious impairment.

Sandoval stood mute as her charges were read and a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf.

Her defense attorney asked for a $100,000 bond with 10%. The prosecution, however, asked for $500,000 with no 10%, based on Sandoval's driving record which includes several crashes and a suspended license.

The prosecutor said Sandoval was leaving the Livonia fireworks show when she drove through and hit the family. However, her defense attorney said she was unaware that she had hit the three people.

The judge ultimately ruled that, based on the seriousness of the matter, Sandoval would be held on a $600,000 cash/surety bond with no 10%.

She's due back in court on July 10 with a preliminary exam set for July 17.

The backstory:

Sandoval is accused of hitting a family as they crossed Merriman Road near Lyndon Street around 10:45 p.m. June 29, killing 3-year-old boy Khalil Robinson. His twin sister, Kloe, and mother, Tia Robinson, were injured.

Family said the victims were leaving the Livonia Spree festival when they were struck.

Sandoval didn't stop, but was arrested the next day.

According to state records, Sandoval's license was suspended last August after she refused to take a roadside DUI test.

What they're saying:

After Khalil's death, his family members mourned the boy, whom they called a "special little child."

"This is my first tragedy in my family and knowing how to deal with it," said Michael Robinson, the twins' grandfather. "I have no idea step-by-step, day-by-day and this is the first day so there are going to be long, long days coming."

Khalil and Kloe's grandparents recalled a special bond the twins shared.

"He would always go and take stuff to his sister, so if I gave him a piece of candy, he would take one for his sister and take it in there to her," Michael said. "He was very loving toward his sister but they had their ups and downs though."

The Source: Previous FOX 2 reporting and a Wayne County Prosecutor's Office press release were used in this story.

Watch FOX 2 News Live

DETROIT (WWJ) -- "No Kings."

That's the name of the nationwide movement planning protests this Saturday, June 14, against the Trump administration and its use of force against people protesting immigration arrests in Los Angeles.

Several rallies are planned in Metro Detroit, including in Livonia, Detroit, and Ferndale.

The protests coincide with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Flag Day and the scheduled military parade tomorrow on the streets of Washington, DC.

Ken Whittaker with Michigan United Action says Trump is going well beyond deporting dangerous illegal immigrants.

"What we're seeing from the Trump administration is not law and order, it's state-sponsored terror," Whittaker said, speaking at a news conference via Zoom on Tuesday.

"When you send soldiers into our cities not to keep the peace, but to provoke, that's violence. When you rip children from their parents and put them in cages, that's violence. When ICE agents dressed as military commandos kick in doors and drag people away under the cover of night, that's not law enforcement. That's a war on the people."

This comes as California's Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to sue the federal government for sending in the National Guard, claiming Trump violated the Constitution by deploying 2,000 soldiers to quell demonstrations against immigration crackdowns.

For its part, the Trump administration said these deployments are legal and necessary to protect ICE agents against violence.

More information on this weekend's protests can be found at nokings.org.

MORE: What does it mean when the National Guard is federalized?

Featured Image Photo Credit: Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Quality Metalcraft is reporting that 41 of its 351 employees in Livonia, Michigan, are subject to permanent layoff.

The details of the layoff were related in a WARN Act notice filed with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The layoffs began April 21.

"The company has sought to find solutions that would allow it to continue its business operations without a plant closing or mass layoff," the notice that was filed May 8 said.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, also known as WARN act, requires companies going through mass layoffs and / or site closures to issue advance public notice to the state's labor department, should that step meet certain requirements for the size of company or number of people involved.

Quality Metalcraft on Schoolcraft Road is involved with motor vehicle parts manufacturing.

Paula Wethington

Paula Wethington is a digital producer at CBS Detroit. She previously held digital content roles at NEWSnet, Gannett/USA Today network and The Monroe News in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.