A large, white chicken still sways in the wind above the Luigi's Restaurant and Lounge sign. It was the only thing still standing Sunday after a fire gutted the landmark Oelwein restaurant only a day earlier. A steady stream of vehicles slowly drove down South Frederick to Southwest 11th Street to glimpse the charred remains of Luigi's, an Italian restaurant, bar and events center owned and operated by the Stasi family since 1959.

"I spent a lot of time here," said Chris Gonterman of Oelwein, who described herself as a longtime Stasi family friend. "A lot of dancing, a lot of live music ... It was a place to be." She stood helplessly outside Saturday as Luigi's burned, watching firefighters battle flames for two hours and finally bring a crane in to demolish what little remained.

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Source: http://wcfcourier.com/