DelGrosso Foods: Love, Heritage, Family, and the Sauce of Life!
DelGrosso Foods is the oldest family-owned producer of pasta sauce in America, starting from the original recipe of Marianna Pulcino, who immigrated to America in 1911. She established Mom’s Café on Walton Avenue in Altoona, Pennsylvania and began serving her old-world recipes to the delight of hungry patrons.
In 1936, Marianna’s daughter Mafalda was waiting tables at the cafe when Ferdinand DelGrosso, a handsome young railroader, walked through the door and sat at her table. They fell in love instantly. “Fred” and “Murf,” as they are affectionately known, would later be married, and in 1943, they bought a small restaurant on 17th Street and called it DelGrosso’s Cafe. With the help of Marianna’s original sauce recipe, the restaurant soon became famous for the “best spaghetti dinner in town.”

The idea to commercially manufacture pasta sauce took root when Fred noticed restaurant customers offering to pay extra to take home a small portion of the sauce. Fred immediately saw the potential to market and sell their quality Italian sauces, and in 1946 he sold DelGrosso’s Cafe and bought nearby Bland’s Amusement Park.
In 1951, Fred built a small cooking room behind Bland’s Park containing four 20-gallon, gas-fired, hand-stirred kettles and an automatic can sealer. The sauce was still poured one can at a time by family members using potholders, and then each can was labeled by hand. This process literally took hours, but the DelGrosso family was proud of its products and wanted to establish a tradition to pass on to the next generation.

In 1979, DelGrosso Foods moved into a new state-of-the-art production facility across the road from Bland’s Park. Through numerous expansions and upgrades over the decades, the family has maintained the quality and authenticity of each and every jar that comes off the production line.
In late 2000, the DelGrosso Family put their name on their beloved amusement park and has since been known as DelGrosso’s Amusement Park.
The DelGrosso story is quintessentially American and represents the hopes and dreams of family members spanning several generations.
Now in its third generation, DelGrosso Foods has taken its place among the most highly regarded producers of fine sauces anywhere. Still owned and operated by their seven sons & daughters , it continues as the oldest major family-owned manufacturer of pasta sauce in the United States and as the proud stewards of “The Finest Sauce Made.”

For a Delicious Pasta Dish Recipe idea, try the Baked Ziti with DelGrosso’s Marinara Pasta Sauce






