John Ambriola founded The Ambriola Company, Inc. in 1921 in Youngstown, Ohio.  From the very beginning Mr. Ambriola’s vision was to bring to his new country, America, the finest foods from his old country, Italy.  He imported only the finest first quality, traditionally produced food items he enjoyed in his youth to fill his retail store on Boardman Street in Youngstown.  This included tomato sauces and paste, olives, olive oil, pasta, proscuitto di parma and salamis, and most important cheeses of many types from all over Italy.

During World War II importation from Italy was impossible so he turned his eyes and imagination to California and Wisconsin where he purchased from Italian immigrants, as he himself was, traditional items such as olives, olive oil, tuna fish , wines and Italian type cheeses.  After the War he once again added to his domestic line all the traditional items imported from Italy that had made Ambriola’s retail store in Youngstown so very popular and successful.

In 1946, Mr. Warren H. Ajemian, his new son-in-law, changed the course of Ambriola’s business to concentrate on importing from Italy and distributing fine, first quality traditional cheeses into the United States and introducing these cheeses to a wider audience from Maine to Florida.  Under Mr. Ajemian’s management Ambriola expanded into the then new retail supermarket trade by becoming the first to package, in 1947, traditionally produced Italian cheeses from Italy into consumer sizes for these supermarket chains.  This was an immediate success and allowed Ambriola to grow through the 1970’s. 

It is interesting to note that the very first imported Italian cheese that Mr. Ajemian chose to package into consumer size was Locatelli Brand pecorino romano thus confirming its’ status as not only the finest quality grating cheese imported into the United States but making it the largest selling single Brand in every supermarket chain that bought it.

In 1977 Ambriola became the sole importer and exclusive distributor of Locatelli Brand cheeses including pecorino romano, Ricotta Salata and various specialty cheeses.  In 1998, Ambriola became the sole importer and exclusive distributor of Auricchio Brand provolone, Reggiano parmigiano and Grana Padano.

Today, the grand daughter of John Ambriola, Mary Anna Ajemian, presides over a growing Company whose imported Italian cheeses are distributed throughout the 50 United States.  Under Miss Ajemian’s management Ambriola’s own Brand names of pecorino romano, Ambriola-Piccante Brand and Ambriola Brand are recognized in the Trade as the finest of their type.  Ambriola’s product line has expanded to include new offerings of Colombo Brand gorgonzola and Fontal, Diva Brand Reggiano Parmigiano and Grana Padano and one product, Luppi Brand prosciutto di Parma the only non-cheese item in the mix.  All of these Brand names are recognized in the imported business to be the finest of their type holding to John Ambriola’s original dream to import and distribute only the finest, first quality, traditional food products from the country of his youth, Italy, to his adopted and much beloved country of America.