Lou's Village, Since 1946

2nd Generation: Frank & Gloria

Gloria Santoro was born September 29, 1922 at the Santoro home and business at Virginia and Locust Streets in San José’s the Italian neighborhood “Goosetown”. Francis “Frank” Muller was born January 14, 1919 and grew up in western New York and New Jersey.

Frank Muller, an Army Lieutenant, came through San José in 1944 on his way to an assignment in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Gloria and Frank met at a USO dance in Gilroy. Like many war-time romances, they married a few weeks later at St. Mary’s in San Francisco on January 29, 1944. Not long after the wedding, Frank left to serve in the Pacific Theater.

Following the war, the Mullers started a family. Thomas Francis was born in 1946 and Timothy Louis in 1950. After attempting a career in carpentry, Frank went to work for his father-in-law at Lou’s Village as a bartender and janitor. In 1951 the Santoro - Polizzi partnership dissolved, and the Mullers joined that Santoros as owners of Lou’s Village. Frank and Gloria worked at the restaurant during the day and Lou and Alvina covered the evenings. The Mullers began the catering side of Lou’s business and started serving banquets off site. The income from the catering helped offset the cost of hiring well known entertainers to perform at Lou’s Village.

Frank was the face of Lou’s in the 1950s and 1960s and is credited with promoting Lou’s Village. He was on the Executive Committee of the Convention and Visitors Bureau which led to close relationships with local business owners. Frank Muller died in 1992. He is remembered as a “ball of energy” and is credited with promoting the restaurant through his connections in the community.

Gloria, always active in the management of the restaurant, was the creative inspiration behind the decor and menu presentations that Lou’s had over the years. She noticed that San Jose was lacking a high quality seafood restaurant and suggested Lou’s fill the void. In the late 1960s, Lou’s Village began to specialize in seafood, a concept that Lou’s became known for, and soon the décor took on a nautical theme. All of the dishes were freshly prepared in-house. The banquets served food direct from the chef to the customer. Gloria continued to be involved with the restaurant until she Gloria passed away in 1997.