Family History | Production Process | Customer Comments | Media

In the beginning… In the early 1930's, on the island of Corsica, just off the coast of Northern Italy, my grandfather, Alessio Spinabelli was a hard working shoe cobbler. He made some of the finest leather boots for high ranking state officials. One day, as an acknowledgement of my grandfather's shoemaking talents, the Mayor, the Priest, and the Teacher of Ortiporio (the town in Corsica) invited Alessio to dinner at the Mayor's residence. The wine was good, the meal was fair, but the antipasto was "terrible!" as my grandfather boldly told all three men. Naturally, they all took offense and demanded to know how a shoemaker would know anything about the art of making salamis. Alessio being from Parma, Italy, the culinary capital of the fine art of dry-curing products, told these men, "Next fall, I will come and kill your three pigs with my own men, I will make and supervise all products, and by Easter you will be sampling real Salami and later, Prosciutto." So the challenge was made, and the three men which happened to be the most influential people in the town did their part of Alessio's request and he set to work creating his own Salamis and Prosciutto. Needless to say, the following Spring there was an entourage of people wanting to sample Alessio, the shoemaker's, culinary skills. The minute the Mayor, the Priest, and the Teacher tried my grandfather's products, they proclaimed he must open his own Salumificio. All three pitched in and one supplied the place, one supplied the license, and the Priest helped with finding the funds. And so, the Spinabelli tradition of making fine Italian specialty meats was born.

The story continues… During World War II, my grandfather and his family had to flee Corsica. The family was separated for a while, my grandfather and grandmother made it to Pittsburgh in 1949. They settled in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, and started working two to three jobs each and late at night, they would make sausage products to take to different restaurants during the day. Luckily, in 1954, my father, Luigi Spinabelli and Uncle, Lodovico, were able to come to Pittsburgh. The family continued making products and selling to various places. Luigi, was determined to make the family business work here in America and all together they created Parma Sausage Products, which was established in 1954 and Incorporated in 1962. Luigi had the vision and the willpower to work the long, hard hours to establish Parma Sausage in the culinary world.

Over Fifty years later, we continue to make our products as Alessio did in Corsica, with great pride knowing the taste test is still the most important way to keep people happy.

Thank you for all of your support and encouragement over the years from all of us at Parma Sausage!

Rina Edwards
President
Production Process - Back to Top

Since 1954, fresh sausages, cooked sausages, and dry-cured sausages, Prosciutto, Pancetta are all made from family recipes that have been passed on from one generation to the next, right here in the Strip District of Pittsburgh in our manufacturing plant on Penn Avenue.

The most important ingredient is time. Nothing is rushed and we do not sell a product until it passes our taste test.

Our fresh sausages are exactly that, fresh! We make Hot, Sweet, Sicilian, Garlic and Breakfast sausage several times a week.

Our Cooked products have a unique blend of spices and excellent cuts of pork which are combined with optimum cooking temperatures to tempt any palate.

Our Dry-Cured products are the heart of our business. From spicy Sopressatas to our sweet and tender Prosciutto, we give the utmost care and time from start to finish.

We hope you enjoy our products as much as we love to make them!
Customer Comments - Back to Top

Dear Sirs,

My wife and I like to occasionally make a trip to the Strip and shop, and today, we tried your sausages. To say the least, I was amazed, the price was reasonable, the sausages were super lean, the taste was great. I can't describe how much better than grocery store brands your product is. Plus, the variety of flavors was very good. My sons will sometimes go through a half dozen of the 4 inch sausages with dinner and I would rather they have your lean products than grocery store brands. I also tried the sopressata, it was also very good. After this experience, it is unlikely I will ever buy grocery store brands again. I'm glad I have a large freezer that I could stock up on your sausages.

Bill Cullen
Penn Hills
------------------------------------------------------------
Just a short note to say I tried you Italian sausage. Absolutely perfect!!!!! My entire family loved it. Just like grandma used to make it!!!

Paul Dacri
--------------------------------------------------------------
I ate the best tasting salami a few weeks ago when I went with a friend to the "Strip District." I had been there as a young man when I worked for a fruit huckster, but never since. I am 75 years old and tasted a lot of salami being Italian and raised Italian. I had some sliced at your shop and bought a pound sliced to bring home along with some bard crust bread and oil cured black olives. Now that was a meal. My question now is, where can I buy your Parma salami without making a trip to the district? I don't like to drive into Pittsburgh all that much. I looked in the super markets but can't find your brand. Let me know and if I have to, I will force myself to drive in again and buy more of your "best tasting salami I ever ate."

Dom Emanuele
---------------------------------------------------------------
I can hardly wait to get my "real" Italian sausage. Parma's is the best. I want it to treat my Texas friends on "Super Bowl" Sunday to a real taste of Pittsburgh.

GO STEELERS!!

Tom Yakich
Media - Back to Top

We are featured in our local Pittsburgh Video Collection, The Strip Show done by Rick Sebak for WQED. In this DVD, you are able to tour our manufacturing plant and see Parma at work, from sausage and salami production, to our aging rooms, and finally to the "back office" where Luigi entertains his family and friends with his homemade wine and a tasting of our products.

If you are interested in purchasing the WQED DVD of The Strip Show, here is the link: Click Here
Fresh Sausages | Cooked Products | Prosciutto | Dry-Cured Products | About Us | Contact Us | Shipping Info | Recipes | Home All Content © 2010 Parma Sausage Site by ISM