About Us – Our Story

The story of DiCarlo Seafood goes back to when Paul DiCarlo’s great grandfather came to America from Italy and started in the foodservice business.  He ended up in San Pedro, California and started DiCarlo Baking Company back in 1906.  DiCarlo Bakery soon became a San Pedro institution, located on the corner of Gaffey Street and Capitol Drive.

However, San Pedro was also the center of the seafood industry in the greater Los Angeles area with European immigrants having brought their love of seafood, their fishing boats and their trades with them.  One of those who immigrated from Europe was Jack Cuomo, Paul’s maternal grandfather, who eventually owned City Fish Market, which was established in 1915.  As a young boy, Paul and his brothers learned the seafood trade from their elders.

Eventually, Paul’s focus turned toward selling fish and he was encouraged to become a live shellfish supplier for wholesale seafood distributors.  Thus, in 1984, DiCarlo Seafood Company was started.

As local interest in the products grew, the company acquired a 6,400 sq. ft. refrigerated facility on Pioneer Avenue in Wilmington.

In 1989, the company hired industry veteran Scott Cannon and set up a second sales office in San Diego to serve the area businesses and to bring in products from Mexico. In 1995, Mark Freels and then in 1998, Joe Scognamillo joined the company to help support DiCarlo Seafood’s growth as the preeminent live shellfish supplier for southern California.

David DiCarlo, the 5th generation of the family clan to join the foodservice industry, began working part-time at DiCarlo Seafood in 2001 and then full-time in 2008 after finishing his college education. The sales and purchasing teams were enhanced in 2014 with the hiring of Giovanni Vogliotti, a 20+ year seafood industry veteran with expertise in operations, food safety, purchasing and sales. In 2016 Kelly Ton joined the crew bringing her knowledge of logistics and the sourcing of salmon and other fish from around the world.

The company’s product list consists of all types of fresh seafood and shellfish sourced throughout the U.S.  We are direct importers of seafood from Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and various countries in South and Central America.

DiCarlo Seafood has always focused on providing the best quality products and excellent customer service at a fair price.  DiCarlo Seafood’s focus is also on sustainable products, responsible sourcing of products and continuous improvements to food safety standards.  We look forward to serving our customers today and in the future.