Despite it's Latin-based spelling, De Vitis is a proud Italian surname. Ever since Frank De Vitis arrived in the U.S. sometime before 1940, the family has made its mark by selling fresh produce and other Italian products to the North Hill area in Akron.

Frank's business sense laid the initial foundation for Tallmadge Avenue's De Vitis Italian Deli & Market. Frank's son, Angelo, became a partner in 1950.

In the store's early days, Frank would buy fresh fruits and vegetables from a local market. He rented a 20' x 60' space on Main Street in downtown Akron and sold the day's goods from there. Next, he opened a 30' x 30' produce store that had once been a gas station at the intersection of Tallmadge Avenue and Gorge Boulevard.

The present-day building broke ground in 1959, but didn't officially open its doors until 1960. It has gone through various expansions since then and it continues to thrive financially. Four of Angelo's six children currently run the business: twins, Robert and David, Anthony and Laura (Bennington). Two other children, Linda and Danny, live out of state. The family's fourth generation also works in the market.

De Vitis' fame rose because of its fresh items. Their wholesale produce distributor, Northeast Ohio Food Terminal, is a short distance from downtown Cleveland. The market has a buyer pick up fresh items from the terminal everyday except the weekends.

"We have to speculate for the weekend (business)," Robert said. "We've got a lot of practice though, so it's not that tough anymore."

Shoppers will notice the market isn't conventional. "We don't stockpile our produce like the big stores," says Robert. "It's the freshest you can get," he added. Along with the fresh produce, De Vitis offers finished foods that account for 1/3 of their prepared food sales -- eggplant parmiggiana, pizza, lasagna, meatballs, chicken cutlets and lasagna roll ups. Romano cheeses, wines, cookies and biscotti also line the shelves. A full service deli fills the back section of the store, which offers everything from antipasto and desserts to their famous homemade mild or hot sausage.

"We don't like to bring meat in from the West," Robert said. "We like to keep it fresh, so we buy meat that's grown and slaughtered in Ohio." After the pork is trimmed to the "proper percentage of fat content," the spices used, like salt, black pepper, red pepper and fennel seed bring out different flavors.

In light of the wedding season that's fast approaching, De Vitis Italian Deli & Market can either deliver its products to a hall or prepare them for an in-market pickup. The guidelines for orders are simple and straightforward. "If it can be done, it will be done," Robert De Vitis said.

After leaving the market, one senses that the family motto is true: Columbus discovered America; Marco Polo discovered the spaghetti "noodle;" the De Vitis Family has discovered a way to bring Italy to Akron, Ohio!

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