Our Story


Antonio DeSarbo emigrated from Caiazzo, Caserta, Italy in 1886.  He settled in Hamden and worked as a farmer.  He sold and delivered soup bunches to local families on a horse & buggy.  Maria Grazia Burro of Limatola, Italy, arrived in America in 1905.  The two married and had seven children.  Among them was Joseph DeSarbo, who, along with his brothers, established J. DeSarbo and Bros. Produce on South Orange Street in New Haven.  The business went through many iterations in the early days.  Eventually, Joseph married Rose Carbonella in 1933, and in 1969 the two families officially merged in business.  J. DeSarbo & Bros. became Carbonella & DeSarbo, Inc.  Ownership has been in the DeSarbo family ever since.  

As time has passed, Carbonella & DeSarbo has evolved from a local produce company servicing small restaurants and jobbers to a regional wholesaler servicing an array of companies throughout the New England area.  Together, family members Joseph DeSarbo., Jr., Maria DeSarbo, and James DeMaio will continue to adapt and grow in this ever-changing industry with an eye towards the future