History
Samuels Seafood History
1895 – Gaetano Darigo makes his living as a commercial fisherman off the coast of Sicily
1919 – Fellow Italian, Giuseppe Ippolito, comes to America and marries Gaetano’s daughter
1929 – Giuseppe joins his father-in-law in his growing seafood business
1934 – Gaetano retires leaving Giuseppe in charge as horse-drawn wagons replace pushcarts – expanding the business’ reach
1945 – Giuseppe opens his first fresh seafood market in Philadelphia and names it “Ippolito’s”
1950 – Giuseppe’s daughter, Rose D’Angelo, expands the store and continues to grow the family business
1966 – Giuseppe brings his ten-year-old grandson, Samuel D’Angelo, to work in the fish market
1970 – Learning the business from his mother, Sam is already a buyer in Philadelphia
1974 – Sam takes over the reins from his grandfather and expands the original store
1987 – Ippolito’s opens a second location in Philadelphia
1989 – Samuels and Sons Seafood is born, focusing on the commercial and wholesale seafood market
1989– To underscore the premium quality of Samuels products, marine biologist, Joe Lasprogata, joins the company’s senior staff
1990 – Samuels launches Aunt Connie’s Famous brand of seafood, salads, prepared foods, and sauces
1991 – Samuels expands its product line by bringing in Gulf and Pacific Coast products via express air cargo
1993 – Acquisition of Huff Fish Co. increases production capacity to efficiently serve large commercial customers
1994 – Samuels purchases Coastal Seafood overhauling the cutting facilities and freezer storage to meet rigid quality standards
2000 – Samuels unveils its new corporate logo and expands custom product lines to now include Lauren Bay
2001 – Samuels adds a full range of fresh sushi products to serve the growing Asian and specialty markets
2003 – The company website is launched to improve customer interaction, notification, and ordering nationwide
2004 – Sam’s children, Anthony, Sammy, and Lauren join the company’s Sales and Purchasing teams
2006 – Samuels’ service expands to Pittsburgh, PA
2007 – Samuels begins to offer overnight delivery service nationwide
2007 – Sam Jr (AKA “Sammy Brown”) takes over as the head of the Retail Division
2009 – A new, 60,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility opens on Lawrence Street in South Philadelphia
2011 – Samuels’ service expands west to Las Vegas, NV establishing a west coast division
2013 – Sam’s daughter, Donna, joins the family business
2015 – Samuels opens a facility in Orlando, FL
2019 – Samuels opens an office in South Florida and begins servicing cruise lines
“At Samuels Seafood Co., we’ve built a 100-year tradition bringing superb seafood to market. I would like to personally welcome you to the next hundred years”
– Sam D’Angelo, Owner
