For Pino and Laura Pugliano, olive oil is synonymous with family, culture and tradition.
Pino Pugliano shares a boyhood memory of toasting bread over an open fireplace to dip into olive oil produced on his family’s farm in Calabria, a region in southern Italy that’s famous for its blue sea waters and ancient villages.
Laura Pugliano recalls trying the oil for the first time while dining in the middle of the family’s olive grove and realizing she’d never tasted anything like it.
And although it wasn’t part of their plan for their lives, olive oil has become a business for the couple, who recently opened Ciccio’s Olives on South Fifth Avenue in West Reading, Berks County.
A display rack of olive oil at Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
They import, distribute and sell oil produced from the olives grown on Pino Pugliano’s family’s third-generation farm, which his brother, Antonio, now runs.
“There’s no middleman involved,” Pugliano explained. “Every aspect of the business is family-owned and operated.”
The couple’s unlikely story began 26 years ago when Pino moved to Reading to pursue a culinary career, for which he’d trained in Italy.
While managing the kitchen at Russo’s Gourmet Foods and Market in Wyomissing, he became acquainted with Laura’s mother, Marissa Ross, who eventually introduced him to her daughter.
“We had three dates and then I moved to the West Coast for a year and a half,” Laura Pugliano said. “But when I came back, he was still here, and we tried again.”
The second try was the charm, and the couple was married in a church in Pugliano’s hometown in Italy.
Olive oil on display at Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
Enamored with the olive oil she had there, Laura Pugliano began transporting it back with them in large water bottles after every visit to the family farm. They shared it with family and friends in America, who were equally impressed.
“We were just happy that everyone enjoyed it, and it was something we could give and share,” she said. “We didn’t plan for it to become a business.
When Pino Pugliano’s father, Francesco, who is called Ciccio, announced at age 82 that he was ready to retire, however, they were faced with a dilemma.
“He said that either my brother and I would have to take over the farm or it would be sold,” Pugliano said. “That hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t want to spend my life picking olives, but the farm means a lot to me and I didn’t want it to go out of our family.”
Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
After much consideration, the Pugliano brothers decided that Antonio would run the farm and Pino and Laura would get serious about selling the oil produced from the olives grown there.
They started bottling, importing and selling it from their home in Leesport and at various locations throughout the region in 2020. When zoning issues made it impossible for them to increase the size of their home-based shop, they decided it was time to open a store.
In addition to their extra virgin olive oil, which has received awards at competitions in New York City and Italy, they sell Calabrian kitchenware and home goods, local honey, woven textiles, handmade pottery, olive oil-based body lotions and oils, soaps, candles and other items.
Various gift items can be bought at Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
They also offer cooking classes on site and will lead a small group tour to Calabria in August.
“We’re passionate about having people discover the Italy we love so much,” Laura Pugliano said. “Whether you come to our shop, take a cooking class with us or travel to the beautiful place where Pino grew up, we want you to get to know the Italian way of life.”
The couple plans to continue building the business, with more tours and other events in the planning. Pino’s knowledge of the olive industry, coupled with Laura’s experience in the marketing and communications field, makes them a perfect team.
Hand-crafted pottery is available at Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
With three children between the ages of one and seven and a full-time job at an insurance company for Pino Pugliano, their lives are beyond busy.
“It’s crazy, but we’ll make it work somehow because we love what we do,” he said. “It’s all about family and sharing our culture.”
Learn more about the history of Ciccio’s Olives, cooking classes and upcoming trips at cicciosolives.com or @cicciosolives on Instagram, Facebook or X.
Ciccio’s Olives at 12B S. Fifth Ave., West Reading. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)