(ST. LOUIS) – Volpi Foods, the St. Louis-based, 4th-generation family-owned and operated producer of specialty cured meats since 1902, announces today the passing of Chief Emeritus Officer and Master Salumiere Armando Pasetti at the age of 96. Pasetti came to St. Louis from Italy at the age of 14 to work at Volpi Foods with his uncle and Volpi founder, John Volpi. As leader of the Volpi Foods from 1958 to 2002, Armando grew the company into a household name in St. Louis and the Midwest with a reputation for quality and service.
Volpi Foods CEO and Armando’s daughter Lorenza Pasetti states, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of my father, Armando Pasetti. He was a true craftsman and lived his life with passion. He welcomed customers, employees and neighbors as family to our Volpi shop. If you met Armando at the store, his warm caring spirit filled the room and will continue to do so.”
When Armando traveled to America by boat, he lived upstairs from the shop and learned the business just as his uncle had: from the bottom-up. Armando eventually mastered every aspect of his uncle’s craft. Upon John’s passing, Armando took the helm of the company and continued to build upon consumer demand, even expanding Volpi Foods to national distribution. Although the company continued to grow, he stayed true to Volpi’s dedication to hospitality and the craft of dry cured meats, adhering to the techniques brought to America over a century ago. To this day, Volpi Foods still relies exclusively on local suppliers, dries its meats by adjusting temperature and humidity of natural airflows, and prides itself on putting the customer first. The Volpi store is also still open and operational today in its original location in The Hill.
Armando is survived by three loving daughters, Angela, Lorenza, and Carla; eight grandchildren: Gregory, Gary, Gabrielle, Derek, Daniela and Deanna, Giorgia and August; and 10 great-grandchildren: Patrick, Evelyn, William, Ellie, Margaret, Mason, Olivia, Logan, Daniel and Vivian; and more than 230 dedicated members of the extended Volpi Foods’ family.
He loved hearing customers’ stories of enjoying Volpi Foods’ products at home with their families. The entire Volpi family invites you to celebrate his life through the joys of cooking and connecting with loved ones this holiday season.
About Volpi Foods:
The Volpi family migrated from Milan to St. Louis in 1898, bringing with them the ancient European art of dry cured meats. John Volpi founded Volpi Foods in the iconic St. Louis’ Italian neighborhood of The Hill in 1902, and now 119 years later, the fourth-generation, family-owned business remains a leader in the specialty food industry. While the family still operates a deli and shop from the original storefront, consumers can now find Volpi Foods products across the country. The Volpi Foods family is committed to providing high quality products for their consumers by preserving the ancient art of dry cured meat by hand and fostering partnerships with local farmers to source fresh meat Raised Responsibly™. This means no steroids ever, no gestation crates, fed a primarily vegetarian diet and freedom to roam and socialize naturally. High quality meat starts at the source. To learn more about the Volpi Foods process, visit here and to read about the company’s accolades, visit here. Find a store near you here, and for up-to-date news on Volpi Foods products, visit here or follow them on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
