Our Story Begins in Southern Italy

 The Santoro and Cerminara families trace their roots to Savelli, Calabria, a small mountain village in Southern Italy where life was simple, humble, and grounded in faith, loyalty, and community. Hard work was a way of life, and family always came first.

In the mid-20th century, both families immigrated to the united states in search of opportunity. They settled in the steel towns of Follansbee and Weirton, West Virginia, just outside of Pittsburgh. They arrived with little money, no English, and few possessions, but with an abundance of hope and determination.