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Pastene’s headquarters are moved to Canton, Massachusetts. Chris and Mark Tosi – fifth generation family members of founder, Pietro Pastene – take over the company with a renewed vigor for fresh, high-quality ingredients and consistent flavors. They maintain the same quality standards and commitment to product consistency for which the Pastene brand has come to be known.
Fun Fact: Until the mid-1970’s, Pastene was the sole distributor of Robert Mondavi wines in New England.
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Pastene introduces what would quickly become its flagship product – Kitchen Ready© Tomatoes. These fresh-packed tomatoes set the industry standard and become the secret ingredient in thousands of family sauces.
Fun Fact: To date, Pastene has sold over 275 million cans of Kitchen Ready Tomatoes.
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Upon Pietro’s passing, the company was handed down to the Tosi family, cousins who had been a part of Pastene & Co. for generations. They focus their sights on the retail supermarket trade, positioning the company as the pre-eminent specialty food importer in North America.
Fun Fact: Pastene was well ahead of the times, making long-time employee Reba Ullian the highest-ranking female leader of a major US importer, naming her head of Pastene & Co.’s New York office.
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Pietro and his sons expand Pastene & Co., with offices in New Haven, CT, New York, NY, Montreal, Canada, and Naples, Italy. But in 1917, business suffers as German U-boats stifle imports from Europe to the United States and many Pastene employees are deployed to support the war effort.
Fun Fact: Up until prohibition, Pastene & Co. was the first to bring in wines from California for sale throughout the U.S.
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Luigi Pastene makes the trip from Italy to the United States, settling in Boston where he sells fresh fruit from a pushcart. Over the years, Luigi’s family and business grows. He branches out from fruit to high-quality, imported Italian ingredients and products and eventually hands his company over to his son, Pietro. The business flourishes as Italian immigrants turn to Pastene as a trusted importer of familiar-feeling Italian goods.
Fun Fact: Pastene is the oldest specialty company in North America.