[4][5][6] In 1932, the brothers bought a small shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a prosperous neighborhood whose residents could afford quality groceries even during the Great Depression.

In a key innovation, they gave people the opportunity to shop for meat, produce, dairy and baked goods in a single store, helping to pioneer and popularize the idea of the "supermarket".

[4][5][6] Pasquale died in 1960 and Nicholas ultimately bought out his share of the business, to serve as CEO, chairman and President, and to resolve the family succession issue.

The store's singing commercials, created by Jo Foxworth, with the tag line, "Please, Mr. D'Agostino, Move Closer to Me," aired routinely on radio and television during this period.

At its peak in the 1990s, after two generations of steady expansion, the chain operated at 26 locations in New York City and adjacent Westchester County, with annual sales exceeding $200 million.

At the same time, worsening financial pressure from New York real estate costs, unionized labor expenses, and trade credit restrictions severely limited the cash available for refilling shelves.