Frank S Coniglio

Frank Stephen Coniglio, the jovial husband of Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio and the restaurateur behind popular E.R. Bradley’s Saloon, died Sunday, March 22, 2020, at his home in Palm Beach after a long illness , his family said. He was 81. The Coniglios opened E.R. Bradley’s in 1983 as a restaurant and bar in Palm Beach but it is today a fixture of West Palm Beach’s lakefront. In addition, Mr. Coniglio and his family bought or opened several other Palm Beach restaurants, including Royal Poinciana Way’s original Cucina dell’Arte, today Cucina; and the old Nick & Johnnie’s. Mr. Coniglio was born to Stephen and Anna DeStefano Coniglio and raised in an Italian-American family in Washington, D.C. After attending 12 years of Catholic school, Mr. Coniglio spent four years in the Marine Corps, where he acquired the nickname “Mad Dog.” He then took classes in banking at American University before turning his attention to selling real estate in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland markets. He proved adept at it, and in 1965, Mr. Coniglio was named the youngest million-dollar seller in the field. Mr. Coniglio launched the careers of several bands during his years in bars and nightclubs, his family said, but especially when he managed the iconic Hurricane Nightclub in Ocean City, Maryland. His success led to owning restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. In 1976, he married Gail Kingsbury in Maryland, and by 1982, when they moved to Palm Beach, they had three children. The family later expanded to include three more, many of whom would work in the family business. With close friends John Surovek and Sid Ritman, Mr. Coniglio invested in several commercial properties in Palm Beach County, including the landmarked mixed-use building on the corner of Royal Poinciana Way and Bradley Place. In addition to his wife, Mr. Coniglio is survived by a brother, Nicholas Coniglio of Silver Springs, Maryland; his children from his previous marriages, Cathy Coniglio (David Scheuch) of Lake Worth and Dondra Coniglio of Columbia, Maryland; and children Nicholas Coniglio (Carissa) of Palm Beach, Jan-Marie Cook (Christopher) of West Palm Beach, Cara McClure (Jared) of West Palm Beach, Christina Coniglio (Adam Silverstein) of New York City, Francesca Finck (William) of West Palm Beach and Gabrielle Coniglio of Los Angeles; and 15 grandchildren.