Our Story

Buttero Italian Eatery & Sports Lounge was born out of the idea of bringing a little bit of Italian Butteri pride back to Sheridan where Buffalo Bill scouted and held auditions for his Wild West Show. We invite you to enjoy our fine dining Italian eatery, serving traditional Italian dishes and delicious delicacies or relax in our Sports Lounge serving Italian and American cuisine with a western flare.

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Il Buttero

A buttero is a traditional name for a mounted herder, usually of horses, cattle or buffalo, specifically in the Maremma region of Tuscany. He is what, we in America, would call a cowboy. Although the word buttero is not widely used as much as the American term "cowboy" in modern Italian today, the butteri are still highly regarded in some small Italian towns, commemorated with annual celebrations and rodeos.

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The story of the Il Butteri and Buffalo Bill

In 1980, Buffalo Bill took his Wild West Show to Italy, showcasing cowboy skills of taming wild horses and capturing young calves. The Butteri were unimpressed by the American cowboy's skills. Lead by Augusto Imperiali, they challenged Buffalo Bill to a contest of saddling and mounting American foals inside the area the American's built for the Wild West Show. The Italians' skills proved far superior to those of the Buffalo Bill troupe and the Butteri won the contest. News of their victory quickly spread throughout Italy and was savored for years to come.

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It is rumored Buffalo Bill placed a bet with Duke Onorato Gaerani for 500 lire (currently $33.90 in US dollars), which was a lot of money back then considering a monthly salary of 10 lire was considered good in Italy at the time, that he and his American cowboys would win the contest. Buffalo Bill was so upset he left in a hurry without paying the wager.