LiDestri Foods and Francesco Rinaldi: A family history

Our family has a long history of preparing and selling pasta sauce. What began as a door-to-door operation in 1937, eventually grew into one of the biggest brands in the category-the Ragu packing company.

Mr. Ralph Cantisano sold Ragu in 1970, paving the way for an exciting new partnership. Together with several former Ragu employees, including Mr. John LiDestri, Ralph Cantisano founded Cantisano Foods.

In 1982, Mr. Edward P. Salzano, joined Cantisano Foods, bringing with him the Francesco Rinaldi name. It wasn't long before homes all across the country were choosing Francesco Rinaldi for its restaurant-quality authentic Italian flavor, while recognizing it as a great value in the pasta sauce category.

Following Mr. Cantisano's retirement in 1998, the LiDestri family took on an ever-increasing role within the management of the company. In 2002, Mr. Cantisano's family business was passed on to his extended family of nearly 30 years--and Cantisano Foods name was officially changed to LiDestri Foods.

Today, LiDestri Foods, and its proprietary label, Francesco Rinaldi, are a multi-million-dollar manufacturing and packaging business. But it doesn't matter how far we've come, because we're still really good at making what you like…pasta sauces that please the palate.