Armando Pasetti of Volpi Foods Passes Away

Recently, the St. Louis, Missouri-based producer Volpi Foods announced the passing of Chief Emeritus Officer and Master Salumiere Armando Pasetti; he was 96. Armando Pasetti came to St. Louis from Italy at the age of 14 to work at Volpi Foods with his uncle and Volpi Founder, John Volpi. As a leader of Volpi Foods from 1958 to 2002, Armando Pasetti grew the company into a household name in St. Louis and the Midwest with a reputation for quality and service.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of my father, Armando Pasetti,” CEO and Armando Pasetti’s daughter Lorenza Pasetti stated. “He was a true craftsman and lived his life with passion. He welcomed customers, employees, and neighbors as family to our Volpi shop. If you met Armando at the store, his warm caring spirit filled the room and will continue to do so.”

When Armando Pasetti traveled to America by boat, he learned the business just as his uncle had: from the bottom-up. Armando Pasetti eventually mastered every aspect of his uncle’s craft.

Upon his uncle’s passing, Armando Pasetti took the helm of the company and continued to build upon consumer demand, even expanding Volpi Foods to national distribution, stated the press release. Although the company continued to grow, he stayed true to Volpi’s dedication to hospitality and the craft of dry-cured meats, adhering to the techniques brought to America over a century ago. To this day, Volpi Foods still relies exclusively on local suppliers, dries its meats by adjusting temperature and humidity of natural airflows, and prides itself on putting the customer first. The Volpi store is still open and operational today in its original location in The Hill.

Armando Pasetti is survived by three loving daughters, Angela, Lorenza, and Carla; eight grandchildren, Gregory, Gary, Gabrielle, Derek, Daniela, Deanna, Giorgia, and August; 10 great-grandchildren, Patrick, Evelyn, William, Ellie, Margaret, Mason, Olivia, Logan, Daniel, and Vivian; and more than 230 dedicated members of the extended Volpi Foods’ family.

The entire Volpi family is urging everyone to celebrate his life through the joys of cooking and connecting with loved ones this season.

Our hearts go out to the Volpi and Pasetti family.