D’Aquino Italian Imports is a family run, local institution and will once again be providing wine to Taste of Arcadia guests!
Hard work, a sense of destiny and a little luck brought Gaetano D’Aquino to Los Angeles in 1967. Today, D’Aquino ltalian Importing Company, based in Duarte, California, boasts one of the finest lines of imported wine, olive oil and food products from Italy. But this success certainly did not come easy.
Born in 1940 in Siracusa Sicily when World War II was raging in Europe, D’Aquino’s parents sent the young boy to the country to stay with his grandparents for reasons of safety and security. When his parents joined him in the country four years later, they decided to start a small business selling fruit, vegetables and grocery items.
During his adolescence, D’Aquino held many jobs including construction and working in stone quarries. At age eighteen, the youth took a step that possibly changed his life forever, he migrated to Switzerland with the help of a friend who was able to provide work for him. Through hard work and a keen mind, he became successful in the field of electronics earning promotions through the years. But by age 25, D’Aquino was ready for another adventure. And it was waiting for him across the Atlantic in America.