Famed Las Vegas restaurateur Piero Broglia dies
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Piero Broglia’s old-world Italian specialties have been a staple in Las Vegas since the 1960s.
He fed the likes of singer Frank Sinatra, casino mogul Steve Wynn and UNLV basketball coaching legend Jerry Tarkanian.
He also fed everyday folks, with many locals celebrating anniversaries and special occasions with his classics — the lasagna bolognese, stuffed artichoke and the seafood and pasta specialty of frutti di mare.
Broglia, the namesake of Piero’s Italian Cuisine at Paradise Road and Convention Center Drive, died on Wednesday. He was 80.
“He’s the finest Italian chef in the world,” said friend Kevin Buckley, who has been eating at Broglia’s restaurants for 40 years.
Born in Rome, Broglia arrived in Las Vegas from the Bahamas in the 1960s, initially working as a craps dealer at the El Cortez and later the Flamingo.
He left the gaming industry in 1969 to open Gourmet Corner on Sahara Avenue, launching a culinary career that spanned the valley.
His Chef’s Roma Kitchen, which opened in 2019, is located on Horizon Ridge Parkway in Henderson.
“Nobody does it like him,” said John Tarulli, a close friend since the two worked together at El Cortez. “He had a knack for cooking, and I should know. I’ve probably ate every one of his dishes.”
Broglia operated many other restaurants in a six-decade culinary career, including Cafe Chloe on South Buffalo and Flamingo roads and Pasta Mia on West Flamingo. Wynn liked his menu so much he hired Broglia to run the kitchen at Stefano’s inside the Golden Nugget.
Tarulli said one his favorite dishes at Piero’s was the spinach and meat agnolotti — those tiny ravioli served with cream sauce. Piero’s on Paradise still serves many of Broglia’s recipes, although Broglia had not been affiliated with the restaurant for many years.
While Broglia served many luminaries over the years, he treated everyone like a star, Buckley said.
Buckley enjoyed Broglia’s food so much that he ate three or four times a week at Cafe Chloe. The salmon puttanesca was his favorite, while his grandson always devoured the fettuccine alfredo.
He remembers Broglia frequently greeting him and playfully grabbing his check with a “whatever you want” welcome gesture.
Tarulli said Broglia had a great sense of humor and always lightened the mood. But when it came to cooking, “he was a perfectionist. Even the salad was always crisp,” Tarulli said.
Broglia is survived by his wife, Peggy, who for decades manned the front of the house at his establishments.
