HONORED — Bob Contraguerro Jr. of Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration was named as the 2026 Italian American of the Year by the Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival executive committee on Wednesday. From left are executive committee members Tony Filberto, chairman; Marilyn Wehrheim, vice president; Michele Fabbro, president; Congraguerro; Janice Whipkey, secretary; John Balzano, treasurer; and Erik Schramm, board member who nominated Contraguerro for this year’s honor. -- Eric Ayres

WHEELING — Members of the executive committee of the Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival gathered Wednesday to announce the 2026 Italian American of the Year – Bob Contraguerro Jr.

Italian heritage leans strongly on “la famiglia,” and so is the case with the Contraguerros, who operate Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, headquartered in South Wheeling.

“It’s a special day for us,” Michele Fabbro, president of the Italian Festival executive committee, who introduced Contraguerro as this year’s honoree. “Something that’s very special – probably to him, too – is the fact that his dad was also Italian American of the Year several years ago. This is the only second time that’s happened.”

Bob Contraguerro Sr., founder of Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, was the 2012 Italian American of the Year. The only other father-son honorees in the festival’s history were 2014 man of the year Robert Guadio and his father, Merle Guadio, who took the honor in 2001.

Contraguerro Jr. was nominated to be this year’s honoree by attorney Erik Schram, festival board member.

“In the nomination, Erik mentioned some of the many, many things that Panhandle does for the community,” Fabbro said of the committee’s decision process to select its Italian American of the Year. Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration’s philanthropic contributions and outstanding support for the local community have been truly worthy of recognition, Fabbro noted. Two big ones I’ll mention are $500,000 they donated to Wheeling University and $250,000 to the Wheeling YMCA. They’re just great people.”

Those donations are among many others, officials noted.

“We’ve always picked great people for our man of the year, and he’s a perfect example of that,” said executive board member John Balzano, noting that the Contraguerros are among the most successful families in the area. “He came from an Italian family that is awesome.”

Executive committee vice president Marilyn Wehrheim noted that Panhandle also throws support behind the Italian Festival every year, and it is much appreciated.

“We’re very grateful for everything you do for the festival with providing our command center for us so we can operate and take over the streets, and also for the golf carts that you donate for us that we appreciate and need terribly,” Wehrheim said.

Contraguerro will be honored at the Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival’s annual kickoff dinner on the Wednesday before the festival takes place later this summer toward the end of July. As reigning Italian American of the Year, Contraguerro will be presented a special medallion and will be invited to attend the opening ceremony at this year’s festival, as well as a featured introduction on the main stage that weekend. He will also be invited to participate in Mass on Sunday.

“I’ll be there,” Contragurerro said on Wednesday, noting that he did not expect to be given such a prestigious honor. “I was very surprised.”

Contraguerro said his parents are both from Wheeling, where he was born and raised. His father started Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration in 1977, and he subsequently joined the family business, working his way up the ladder through the years. Today he is vice president of the company.

He is a graduate of Wheeling Central Catholic High School and is married with three children.

“I do have Italian roots – my father is full-blooded Italian,” he said, noting that his father was born in the United States, but his father’s parents were both from Italy. He said his father started their family business “from nothing” and he worked hard to grow it and establish the company to eventually become the success it is today. He noted that hard working characteristics are a trait of Italian families – part of their heritage, and he is proud this heritage is instilled in them.

“It’s a great honor,” Contraguerro said of being named this year’s Italian American of the Year. “I was looking through some of the programs from previous years and looking at some of the past honorees. It’s very humbling to see some of the people who have been Italian American of the Year, and to now be in that same breath, in that conversation with them is just amazing. There’s some wonderful people I’m in the company of, and it’s very flattering.”

Contraguerro said he usually goes down to the Italian Festival as soon as it kicks off every year and has been a regular visitor for a long time. This year will certainly be no different, he said, noting that he was very much looking forward to this year’s festivities this summer at Heritage Port in downtown Wheeling.

“The festival will be held this year on the last full weekend in July again,” Fabbro noted. “It will be July 24-26, and we hope everyone comes down to enjoy the festival.”