officially closed in 1989. An interesting fact: our very own Dr. Mary Starsiak is a College of Saint Teresa graduate. Incidentally, Sam’s sons, Joseph, Daniel, and Michael received their Bachelor’s Degrees from Saint Mary’s University. Of particular interest, Saint Teresa was operated by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota. A few years after Dr. Sam received his dental degree and license, he would frequently provide pro bono dental care for the Sisters of St. Francis while they were serving in the Chicago area and even provided care for Sister Evangelista, a longstanding Dean of Women at the College of Saint Teresa and friend of Dr. Sam, when she was in Chicago. Getting back to Sam’s return to school after his military service, sometime along the way at Saint Mary’s, Sam chose to pursue Dentistry and in his final year of 1948 was accepted into the dental class of 1952 at the Chicago College of Dental Surgery. As most will recall, in the 1950’s this institution became Loyola University School of Dentistry. Sam earned his D.D.S. in 1952. While helping to make financial ends meet, Sam earned money as a taxi driver while in dental school. Sadly, Loyola University School of Dentistry closed its doors in 1993; this, of course, was very heartbreaking and disappointing to Dr. Sam and a whole host of other alumni who instantaneously became dental school orphans. Unfortunately, and tragically, private dental school closings also became a sad reality for several other fine dental schools in Chicago and around the country.
Sam received the Humanitarian Award from the Italian American Executives of Transportation. The organization honored him and reflected upon his time as a taxi driver during his dental school years. Dr. Sam readily credits the quality of his education from the La Salle Christian Brothers with beginning the strong foundation for his successful professional career as a general dentist on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Dr. Cascio’s first office was located at the corner of Addison and Neva Streets. Selecting this location seemed providential for Dr. Sam in that he was driving by the area and saw that a physician was building an establishment designed for his medical office. Sam wisely noticed that the physician appeared to have room to spare. Dr. Cascio approached him and in a short time the physician and Sam worked out a mutually acceptable arrangement, commencing a decades-long partnership in the building. In 2002, after the building was sold, Dr. Sam and his son, Dr. Michael, moved to the present site at 7340 West Lawrence Avenue, Harwood Heights, Illinois. Dr. Sam greatly loves dentistry, and he practiced as a general dentist for fifty-six years. Dr. Michael joined the practice in 1987, and they worked together until Sam retired from the profession in 2008. Michael continues their successful practice presently at the Lawrence Avenue location, which is managed by Micheal’s lovely wife KK. Michael’s interest in dentistry began at an early age. As a child, in times of leisure, he would often go to the dental office at Addison & Neva and find jobs to do for his father. Dr. Sam taught Michael a plethora
ILLINOIS DENTAL NEWS / MAY 2024 ■ 7
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