D'AGOSTINO'S SUPERMARKET NYC PLUS

His parents were Ignazio and Loretta D'Agostino. Nicholas D'Agostino was born in Bugnara, Italy, a village between Rome and Naples, on June 8, 1910. He was on the board of directors of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, and the winner of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Award for his work toward insuring fair treatment for people of all races, religions and national origins. D'Agostino also involved himself in charitable and volunteer work, and was a founder of Boy's Towns and Girl's Towns of Italy, a network of institutions in Italy that provided food, schooling and sponsors to orphans and abandoned children. Nicholas was a gregarious man, always ready with a joke, and adept at chatting up Park Avenue matrons as well as their maids. The two brothers shared all the responsibilities, although Pasquale's title was president and Nicholas's was vice president. He believed in what every supermarket is looking to do today - upgrade, upgrade, upgrade.' 'He was a pioneer,' said Andrew Balducci, president of Balducci's, a longtime grocery competitor in Greenwich Village. It was a new kind of grocery business for New York City, rivals recalled. These large bags spread the store's name and gave it a cachet that could only be provided by dancers, models and artists who often lugged them around town to carry their shoes, clothes and portfolios.ДЄnother hallmark of the brothers' business was a willingness to take advantage of marketing innovations in the industry before their competitors did, including offering a variety of goods and services under one roof. Trading on its reputation for high-quality meat, D'Agostino's ran highly successful advertisements in the 1960's that said, 'Please don't kiss the butcher.' Another idea that caught on were the big, white plastic 'D'Ag bags' that were ubiquitous in New York in the 1970's.

D'AGOSTINO'S SUPERMARKET NYC PLUS

'In the 1950's and 60's, when meat was the nation's mainstay, it was a big plus to have high-quality product at the supermarket,' said Nicholas Jr., who is D'Agostino's chairman. D'Agostino, who was trained as a butcher, was known for going every morning to Washington Market, New York's main meat market, to find the best beef, veal and lamb available, but he kept the prices competitive with those of his rivals. Six decades later, propelled by a reputation for service and fine meat, the D'Agostino's supermarket chain has 26 stores in New York and Westchester and $200 million in annual sales. D'Agostino and his brother Pasquale entered the grocery business modestly, opening a small store in 1932 at 83d Street and Lexington Avenue, convinced that a shop that offered more personal service than its competitors could do well in Manhattan's silk-stocking district. Nicholas D'Agostino Sr., a founder of one of New York City's largest and most innovative supermarket chains and supporter of charities in this country and his native Italy, died Sunday at his home in Manhasset, L.I., his son Nicholas D'Agostino Jr.

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