Jasper Sanfilippo, who built nut company and unusual collection of musical instruments, dead at 88

Jasper B. Sanfilippo acquired an organ built in 1927 for the Riviera Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Sanfilippo had it restored to look like the original organ at the long-closed Balaban & Katz movie palace the Paradise Theatre in West Garfield Park. | Provided photo

Jasper B. Sanfilippo built his family’s nut business into a publicly traded company with $876 million in sales last year.

Mr. Sanfilippo, who died Jan. 28 at 88, also had a passion for musical instruments, particularly mechanical music machines. His Barrington Hills home grew as he built several additions to showcase his vast collection.

He and his wife Marian helped nonprofit organizations raise millions of dollars by hosting fundraisers at their estate.

His son Jeffrey Sanfilippo succeeded him as chief executive officer of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. in 2006 and guided the company’s move in 2007 from prior locations in Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines and Arlington Heights to new corporate headquarters in Elgin.

The facade of the vintage French carousel building Jasper Sanfilippo added to his home in Barrington Hills, seen around the time it was built in 1997.

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