Daniele, Inc., is a maker of Italian style specialty foods such as prosciutto, salame, pancetta, capocollo and sopressata. The company was founded in Pascoag, Rhode Island, by Italian immigrant Vlado Dukcevich in 1977. Daniele-brand products are sold throughout the United States, as well as foreign markets including Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, South Korea and Colombia.
Humble Beginnings
The Daniele, Inc. story begins with two Croatian refugees, Stefano Dukcevich and his wife, Carolina. After being dispossessed of everything they owned by Yugoslavia's communist party at the end of World War II, Stefano and Carolina fled to Trieste, Italy, the closest "free" town they could reach.
Carolina, who had witnessed the atrocities of the war, says she knew she had reached a safe harbor when she saw American troops in Trieste's train station. "They had American flags on their uniforms," says Carolina, still warmed by the memory, "that's when I knew that we could stop running."
From that moment, their new life began. That meant finding shelter, learning a foreign language, finding a school for their two small children, and finding a craft. Through a fellow refugee from Croatia, Stefano and Carolina got into the meat business. Carolina would spend her days making pork sausages in a small work space, and Stefano would pack them on his bicycle and sell them to local restaurants.
Thanks to the economic miracle that was lifting all of Western Europe in the 1940s and 1950s - and thanks to Carolina's tireless work and Stefano's creativity - the business grew. Stefano was able to afford a truck for his deliveries, Carolina soon had help making her delicious sausages, and the operation migrated to a larger factory. Shorty after, Stefano and Carolina had built one of the most successful food businesses in the region, adding products such as cooked hams and prosciutto.
A New Challenge in the United States
Inheriting his parents' enterprising spirit and work ethic, Vlado Dukcevich, Stefano and Carolina's youngest son, joined the company. After years of studying the craft in Germany and Parma, Vlado was destined for great things in the family firm. Except for one problem, he was restless. Vlado wanted bigger challenges, and set his sights on new horizons. So in 1977 he moved his family to Pascoag, Rhode Island, to open an Italian specialty meats business in the United States.
The early going was tough. Most Americans had never heard of the products Vlado was making. Some even thought prosciutto was pronounced "pros-ki-utto." Selling "pro-shoot-o" in America was harder than Vlado had ever thought. But he stuck to it. And thanks to his hard work, Americans were treated to something they never tasted before, delicate, sumptuous prosciutto. Not to mention the mortadella, salame, sopressata, pancetta and all the rest of the items Daniele, Inc. made!
Daniele, Inc. now sells to some of the finest delis and supermarkets throughout the country, and even exports to Latin America and several countries in Asia. Vlado's two sons, Stefano and Davide, joined the company in recent years, ensuring that future generations will be treated to the family's delicious products.