A Southern
Illinois Story
We believe Southern Illinois is very special and that it has an extraordinary story to tell. We're telling it through the lives, works, and contributions of 100 of our most remarkable residents and their communities. Our award-winning, Pinckneyville-based publishing team — along with our sister company, Arthur Agency, a Carbondale-based creative services firm — is developing a first-of-its-kind hardcover multimedia book. The beautifully designed 156-page, full-color volume will combine an oversized coffee-table book with an audio/video and Web-based complement. It will feature the unique stories and community backdrops of the people who have contributed to positive change in the southernmost 20 counties of our great state, and it will be available in bookstores across the region.
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“… when you're creating something that you feel is making an impact on someone, yeah, that's a fun part …” - John Alongi
 … During a Coca-Cola convention in Las Vegas, the president of Coca-Cola invited us — myself and Bill Hays — to his suite. After talking for a while, he mentioned how things were going great with Coca Cola, and I told him, “Not as good as you think, because you're not in the mixer business, and that is where the future is going to be. Vodka is coming on strong and will become the drink of choice instead of rum; you don't have anything to mix with vodka.”
Two years later, Bill Hays called to say the president of Coke had called and we needed to go to Atlanta as soon as we could. We had no idea what was going on or why we were there. The president showed me a $65,000 report that said, “Better get in the mixer business. Vodka is coming on strong; if you don't make a mixer, you'll be out of the mixer business.” If only he would have listened to me years ago, I could have saved him all that money on a silly report.
After two days of discussion with the president, with him trying to get me to come work for him, I agreed to become his mixing consultant. I flew in on Sunday nights and was back home in Du Quoin on Tuesday night. We created a whole division — Fanta — that included root beer, grape, Sprite, and Fresca. In Italian, “Fresca” means “Fresh.” This was made only to mix with vodka. Then I created a drink called a “Blizzard,” which was Fresca mixed with vodka, and I wrote the ad that introduced our newest product to the world. It was to have its debut in New York City. For a whole week our ad, “A Blizzard Is Coming to New York City,” ran in the newspapers, and on the day it was revealed, eight inches of snow hit New York. They really thought I was a genius!
as told by John R Alongi
Alongi's Italian Restaurant
Since 1933
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