Dick Durbin: “Chicago lost its Candy Man on Thanksgiving Day. Salvatore Ferrara II passed away in Oak Brook, IL. He was the third…”

“Chicago lost its Candy Man on Thanksgiving Day. Salvatore Ferrara II passed away in Oak Brook, IL. He was the third generation of the Ferrara family who has given us memories, cavities, and the treats that lit up kids for generations. Simply listing their iconic candies takes you back in time: Original Boston Baked Beans at the Saturday movies, Red Hots after a sandlot game, Lemonheads at the swimming pool, and Atomic Fireballs on a dare. A handful of Ferrara candy was like a handful of happiness. Ferrara Pan Candy Company was started in 1908 in Chicago by Mr. Ferrara's grandfather, the original Salvatore Ferraro. Its first candy was confetti, the candy-coated almonds served at Italian weddings, symbolizing good luck. Nello Ferrara followed his dad into the business. It was Nello who invented the company's lip-puckering Lemonhead candies. Little Sal was born with forceps, giving him a temporarily misshapen head--``like a lemon,'' his dad said. And candy history was made. Nello Salvatore's military service in Japan after World War II provided the inspiration for another company classic--Atomic Fireballs. Sal II joined the family business in the mid seventies. Over the next 40 years, the company would grow from 35 to more than 500 workers, and annual revenues soared from $3.5 million to $300 million. It also acquired another iconic candy: Gummy Bears. Sal Ferrara died of esophageal cancer. His family said he hadn't smoked since 1981.…”