In 1917 the business opened as P. Todaro and Co., importing and distributing Italian products from Sicily to New York. The founder soon brought in his brothers, Pellegrino and Joseph, and in the early 1920s the company incorporated and took the name Todaro Brothers.
The Great Depression pushed the firm out of distribution and into retail, which became the heart of the business. Pellegrino's sons, Mario and Luciano, joined and grew it into a full specialty market. In 1979, Mario left to open his own store upstate, and Luciano led Todaro Bros. into the full-service specialty food store it remains today — with a devotion to the Mediterranean diet, to purity of ingredients, and to the extensive oils, vinegars, legumes, olives, nuts, and pastas that fill the shelves.
“Truly the oldest neighborhood fine food store — specializing in Mediterranean and European imports, alongside homemade cheeses, sausages, and a plethora of prepared foods.”
