In 1973, John DeCicco Sr. opened his first grocery store in the Bronx with the help of his brothers, Frank and Joe. The brothers arrived in Pelham in 1984 when they took over a CTown Supermarket location, quickly making the store the focal point of the downtown and a staple in the community.

In 2005, the business became known as DeCicco and Sons when the owners, John and Joe, brought in sons John Jr., Chris and Joe Jr. to manage their stores—though everyone in town just calls the place DeCicco’s. The company has grown to 1,300 employees in ten communities across Westchester and Putnam counties.

And now DeCicco’s is celebrating 50 years in business.

“For me, since it’s my family business, it means a lot to us since my father started the company 50 years ago,” said Chris DeCicco. “To see how it’s grown even just in my lifetime as a child growing up in the business, it’s impressive to watch and see. It brings a lot of pride to the family that we’ve now made it to 50 years in this business.”

Store manager Chris Dapolito said, “I’ve been with the company for so long, the interaction with the community has been one of the most enjoyable parts of it.”

DeCicco and Sons works with many different charities throughout the year, and the DeCicco family donates thousands of dollars back to the community. Some of the organizations include the PTA, the Pelham Civic Association, Westchester Community College and the Pelham Art Center. DeCicco’s donates food to various first responders in the community. The company hosted a food drive with Westchester Community College in 2020 and donated to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

“I met so many amazing and hard working people there,” said Aubrey Janiello, a Decicco and Sons employee from June 2020 to April 2021. “It was definitely a challenge at times, not only because it’s a busy grocery store but because of Covid too. Overall, I think it really taught me how to be a hard worker and gave me a glimpse of working in the real world! The store management did create a nice environment for the workers. I give them a lot of credit because it was definitely a very stressful and busy place at times, and we always had accommodations.”

“I have been going to DeCicco’s since the nineties,” said customer Kevin Kain. “I like DeCicco’s because they have high quality products and a great selection.”

Mount Vernon resident Laura Pelin summed it up: “DeCicco’s is the best local store because it has everything you need and the friendliest staff.”