Tony Del Ciello, An Unwitting Elmhurst Celebrity, is Making the Rounds Again

It's springtime, and that means the slow peal of Tony Del Ciello's bell can be heard on streets all over Elmhurst. Tony, "The Knife Sharpener Guy,"  is so in demand that word of his daily whereabouts is spreading like wildfire via social media.

Which is ironic, because Tony, an Old World Italian with an accent to match, has no access to technology. Not even a cell phone. And he likes it that way. 

Want to know more about Tony?:  The Elusive del Ciello Brightens an Otherwise Ordinary Day 

Tony strolls the streets of Elmhurst, and many other towns, with his medieval-looking knife-sharpening contraption on wheels, while people (most often women) chase him down with their dull blades. Every time someone spots him, they post it one of any number of Facebook pages.

A thread about Tony being spotted last Thursday, on "I Remember Elmhurst When I was a Kid" Facebook page, yielded 64 likes and dozens of comments. (By the way, if you haven't "liked" this fun page yet, you're missing out.)

Here are a few responses to a recent sighting of Tony:

"I drove around till I found him. He has a white van—no advertising on it—that he parks, and walks." —Marilyn Robbins 

"If anyone sees him today, please let me know where. I went looking this morning and couldn't find him." —Geoff Gaebel 

"Careful folks—Let's not scare him away by stalking. Bring plenty of dull knives if you stop by to say 'hi' for us all!"—Ken Gosse 

So, where will Tony be this week? It's anybody's guess. But if you hear the toll of his bell, spread the word.