Cento Chairman Ciccotelli Dies at 86

Alfred Ciccotelli Sr., 86, founder and chairman of Cento Fine Foods, died May 6, approximately one month shy of the company’s 50th anniversary, at his home in New Jersey. 

A true pioneer of the food industry, Ciccotelli was among the first to import olive oil, 100 percent durum semolina pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, panettone and other assorted Italian foods to the U.S. market. His vision helped lead the way for imported Italian foods that grew to be the No. 1 favorite ethnic food among U.S. consumers. 

After serving in World War II in the Pacific theater, Ciccotelli returned home to his South Philadelphia neighborhood. What began as a sales job for a local distributor led to a modest $265 investment for a storage bin to a company that now sells a can of Cento tomatoes every two seconds. In 1963, he founded Alanric Food Distributors. This regional company evolved into Cento Fine Foods.

The company’s proprietary brands of Cento, Anna, Bellino, Ferrara, La Florentine and Little Gina’s are sold coast to coast.  Ciccotelli nurtured and helped establish entire food segments, and he assisted numerous associates get their start in the food business. His legacy extends beyond the brands he launched, the categories he helped introduce and the businesses he helped, for his family always came first.