Tony Deodato & Sons traces its Kingston roots to 1923, but the family story begins earlier—in Italy, Sicily, and the journeys that brought Tony and Ida to Canada.
A century in the making
Cappelle Sul Tavo, Pescara
Gabriel Anthony Diodati is born to a family of farmers in Cappelle Sul Tavo, Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Termini, Sicily
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, 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. It was there that he met Ida Scaletta. He proposed within a year, and the two were married in 1921.
The entrepreneur
After their marriage, Tony worked for Ida’s family’s market in Trenton before the couple set out on their own and put down roots in Kingston. Tony purchased a horse and carriage and began delivering produce in the Kingston area.
A growing family
As the business grew, so did the family. With seven daughters and three sons, the Deodato household was a busy place.
A family at work
It was truly a family business, with everyone doing their part. The eldest brothers, Vinny (born 1930) and Sam (born 1931), went to work with their father. The youngest, Tony Jr. (born 1935), was told to make his own way. For a time, he did. In the late 1950s, 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 business.
Through the generations
Under Tony Jr.’s leadership, the company grew and flourished, expanding both its service and territory. In 1987, the next generation of Deodatos took the reins, but the now Tony Sr. was never far from the action. He remained actively involved as president, offering guidance and working alongside his sons, nephew, grandsons, and great-nephews until his death in 2020.
The fourth generation
Tony lived to see the business transition from his father to him and his brothers, then to his sons and 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 life’s work of the Deodatos who came before. It has been quite the century, and we are looking forward to the next one.
Rooted in Kingston. Still family run.
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