Colonna Brothers, Inc.

The name Colonna stands by the integrity of a tradition that started over a century ago. In 1902, traveling from his southern village of Pisticci, Italy, Dominic Colonna crossed the seas, and headed to America to join his relatives, who were residing in Jersey City, New Jersey. During World War I, cheese was extremely difficult to acquire, so in response to this, in 1918, Dominic took his entrepreneurial skills to the table by deciding to open up a small grocery store, which within the basement confines, he would also grate and package imported and domestic cheeses. The response to his endeavors was instantaneous. Friends and people from the neighborhood flocked to the Colonna Grocery store to buy Dominic's cheeses. Although he may not have had the foresight at the time, Dominic had tapped into something big. By the 1940's the Colonna Grocery store had evolved into a substantial food distributing company, servicing both consumers and the trade. Dominic lived to see the success of his venture through his 100th Birthday. Following in their father's footsteps, Leonard and Joe Colonna, took over the family business during World War II, and continued to build on their father's enterprise, through their constant efforts to keep business ideas fresh and productive. Joe Colonna retired in 1980, and his brother, Leonard, followed with his retirement in 1987.