Our History
Amidst the turn of the century, Nicola Rulli and his brother Frank Rulli made the journey to America from their home of Calabria, Italy. Setting out to find a new beginning and work towards a shared dream, the Rulli brothers created their own path leading to what today has become a multi-location, 40,000+ item, Italian Gourmet Market. The brothers worked hard on the local farms and steel mills to save their earnings to build and eventually open the doors to their first Italian Food Market in America. In 1917, Nicola and Frank worked together to carry on the tradition of this business that their forefathers originated and maintained in Italy for years before. The beauty of their hard work, faithful goal, and enduring purpose allowed them to share the love of business and quality products with the entire world. These values are still maintained in our stores today. The products, along with the atmosphere displayed in your stores are untouched traditions that Rulli Bros. is proud to share with its customers. We hope that you share in our efforts to keep these traditions alive as we strive to provide you with the means to do so.
Youngstown is embroidered with the tightly knit spirit and values of a lasting, growing community. We are the melting pot of the country and take pride in being Youngstown's oldest grocery store. Rulli Bros. supports many local organizations, such as: Knights of Columbus, Sons of Italy, Relay for Life, The Debartelo Scholarship Fund, Local High School bands, 23 churches and many youth programs. We are honored to be part of such a loving, family-oriented community.
After immigrating to this country from Cirella, Italy (a small sea-side village in Calabria), the Rulli brothers began to fulfill their dream of starting a business and opening a fresh produce market. Starting with fresh vegetables grown on their own local farm and gardens, the brothers eventually expanded the store's product line to include, fresh meats, deli, and groceries with an emphasis on Italian specialties to serve the region's large Italian-American population. By the late 1950's, the second generation of the Rulli family had taken over the store's operations. Throughout the next fifty years, Frank Rulli, the eldest of the sons, would lead the transformation of Rulli Bros. from a small storefront operation into a full service grocery store with two locations. By the 1970's, suburban areas developed rapidly to encourage the relocation of Rulli Bros. to the new location and facility in Boardman, OH, at the intersection of Mathews Road and South Avenue. In 1986, once this site was built and maximized, Frank, along with wife Louise decided to open a second store located in Austintown. Soon after, Frank's sons Michael and Mark joined their parents in running the business.