A Storied Past
Kingston has not only been home to our business but also our family for more than a century. It started with a boy, a girl, and a dream.
Cappelle Sul Tavo, Pescare
Gabriel Anthony Diodati is born to a family of farmers in Cappelle Sul Tavo, Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Termini, Sicily
April 7, 1907
Ida Scaletta is born near Palermo, Sicily, emigrating to Canada with her family when she was 18 months old. Settling in Trenton, her parents established a produce market.
Setting Sail for a New Life
At the age of 14, Tony packed up and set sail for Canada looking to make a new life for himself. Shortly after arriving in Canada, Tony adopted the last name Deodato and it was with that name that he built his legacy.
When Tony met Ida
After a brief stint in the military, Tony and his business partner opened a restaurant in Belleville and it was there that he met Ida Scaletta. He proposed within a year and the two were married in 1921.
The Entrepreneur
1921-1923
After their marriage, Tony worked for Ida’s family’s market in Trenton before the couple set out on their own, putting down roots in Kingston. Here, Tony purchased a horse and carriage and began delivering produce to the Kingston area.
A Growing Family
1924-1945
As the business grew, so did family. With seven daughters and three sons, the Deodato household was a busy place.
A Family at Work
1945-1966
It was truly a family business, with all members of the family doing their part. The eldest of the brothers, Vinny (born 1930) and Sam (born 1931), went to work with their father but the youngest, Tony Jr. (born 1935), was told to make his own way. For a time, he did. In the late 50’s, Tony Deodato & Sons was established.
Coming Together
Tony Jr. worked as a produce manager at a local grocery store and managed a bowling alley before returning to Deodatos in 1966. With Tony’s return and the brothers reunited, they and their father devoted themselves to building their brand and their business.
Through the Generations
1987-2020
Under Tony Jr.’s leadership, the company grew and flourished expanding both their service and territory. In 1987, the next generation of Deodatos took the reins but the now Tony Sr. was never far from the action. Tony remained actively involved in the company for the years that followed serving as president. He offered guidance, advice, and was a model of hard work and devotion as he worked alongside his sons, nephew, grandsons, and great-nephews until his death in 2020.
The Fourth Generation
A century later
Tony wanted to know that the business was in good hands. With no small amount of luck, he lived to see the business transition from his father to him and his brothers, then to his sons and his nephew and finally to his grandsons and great-nephews.
As we carry the business into its fourth generation, we strive to honour and build upon the legacy that was the life’s work of the generations of Deodatos that came before. It’s been quite the century and we’re looking forward to the next one.
