Joe Gurerra spreads his family NYC Citarella seafood empire to the Hamptons
SEAFOODNEWS.COM May 27, 2014
The lunchtime buzz inside the new Citarella on Hampton Road in Southampton is rising
“This is insane!” says a woman looking over the rainbow of sushi selections at a recent lunchtime, picking up and examining spicy tuna rolls with the squinty-then-wide-eyed wonder of a patron making a discovery at an art opening. She looks at her friend in amazement.
Citarella has already made an impression in the Hamptons—its East Hampton and Bridgehampton locations are gourmet-market meccas, a natural extension of Citarella’s New York City roots and the patrons who helped it grow.
The son of a Sicilian immigrant, Joe Gurrera, owner of Citarella, worked in his family’s fish store as a kid, earned a degree in finance from St. John’s University, and eventually broke out on his own. He bought the Fulton Fish Market wholesale company Lockwood & Winant in 1985, then later started Meat Without Feet, a wholesale supplier to restaurants, all while increasing Citarella’s reach and high-end offerings.
Gurrera bought the Citarella at Broadway and 75th Street in 1983 (the Citarella business name itself having been established in NYC in 1912) and expanded it over the years in breadth—from seafood to include meats, cheeses, prepared foods and other culinary offerings—and in reach with more locations. His three children—Helen, Nancy, and Anthony—are all involved in the business, and there are now also spots on the Upper East Side and in Greenwich Village, along with the East Side restaurant Fulton ...
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