Rossi Rosticceria Deli

Giovanni (John) Rossi was born in the mountain village of Castignola (cah-stin-yola), in the the province of Parma, Emilia Romagna, Italy. In 1965 He emigrated to the United States along with his brother, Aldo, to a thriving Italian neighborhood in Poughkeepsie, NY. It was in 1971 that his eventual wife Angelina (Angela) Trocino along with her brother Victor and sister Maria made the same journey from Petilia Policastro, a city built on a cliff in Calabria, Italy. John made his living working as a cook in local restaurants, notably Nick Beni’s, Coppola’s and Caffe Aurora. Angelina made her living as a seamstress in a local tailor shop. In 1979, John’s desire to be self-employed was fulfilled when a joint venture along with brother-in-law Victor Trocino was realized. They purchased a grocery at the corner of South Clover and Delano Streets in the The City of Poughkeepsie.  Rossi’s started with a three person staff and operated six days a week, 7am to 9pm. There wasn’t a lot on the shelves (cereal, gum, soda, italian ices) but the prepared food coming out of the kitchen is what got the first customers’ attentions. Over the years, Rossi’s has slowly grown in notoriety and has become a fixture in downtown PK. A steady stream of loyal white & blue collared workers, neighborhood locals and students became customers, then regulars, then friends.  Rossi’s popularity earned them several best-of readers’ polls prizes and articles featured in local print.