Connecticut

The Connecticut Grocery Chain With A Cultlike Following

Published

5 months ago

June 29, 2025

The Connecticut Grocery Chain With A Cultlike Following

The golden era of grocery stores and supermarkets are said to have happened in the 1950s. However, it goes without saying people will always have their preference of where to get their eggs and milk. With the industry spanning over a decade, you can expect that every state has its own unique grocery store that the locals love. In Connecticut, for example, that grocery store is Ferraro’s Market, a simple grocery store that has remained the same since its debut that has collected a cultlike following.

It’s easy to label Ferraro’s as an outdated relic stuck in the past, but the grocer’s blend of old school charm, customer-first approach, and meat department are reason enough for this food retailer to not change its ways. After all, the company prides itself on giving as much as possible to high-quality customer service — something it believes is becoming a lost art.

Moreover, the local food retailer offers a premium meat department using fresh seafood caught and brought in off the New York shores. Prepared meals are presented in display cases for quick eat options, and the store features a diverse menu ranging from eggplant Parmesan to Thai-style barbecue wings. With over 50 years in the industry, it’s easy to understand why people continue to shop at this local grocery store.

Read more: The Definitive Ranking Of Grocery Store Butter Brands

The History Of The Longstanding Local Grocery Chain

Photo of Ferraro’s market – Ferraro’s Market/Facebook

Ferraro’s Market opened in 1973, a time after supermarkets replaced several small shops. One of the owners, Salvatore Ferraro Sr., co-owned Mohawk Market and ran the meat department in 1953. However, throughout the 1960s, the way families shopped was changing, as was the nuclear family. The wife remained at home in a supporting role, tending to the house and kids while the husband went to work. During the ’60s, the market was shifting with stay-at-home wives gaining employment, which resulted in retailers needing to adapt. To go from your local butcher to your local produce retailer soon became inconvenient for the everyday shopper — although it’s a common modern day practice to get the lowest prices. That said, many opted for a more convenient one-stop-shop at the local supermarket.

Mohawk Market partnered with two other retailers, Rosner’s Market and Gambardella Brothers, in hopes of meeting the convenience needs of customers while still providing quality service. Despite the recent partnership, Salvatore left four years later to pursue his own project with his wife Joan entering the food retailer business for themselves. The two found success and expanded their business, fine-tuning the building to meet the needs of the customers. Coming from old world charm that was local shops and retailers, Ferraro’s brings together the convenience of supermarkets with the quality customer service experience of a local grocer.

Read the original article on Chowhound.

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Connecticut

Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

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5 hours ago

November 28, 2025

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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

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Connecticut

1 person killed in motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook

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23 hours ago

November 27, 2025

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1 person killed in motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook

One person is dead after a motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook early Thursday morning.

The crash happened on School House Road around 1:20 a.m.

The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the crash, according to police.

First responders performed life-saving measures on the motorcycle opertator but the person died from their injuries, police said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact Officer Charles Moriarty at (860) 395-3142.

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Connecticut

Former Connecticut state rep pleads guilty in Medicaid bribery scheme

Published

2 days ago

November 26, 2025

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Former Connecticut state rep pleads guilty in Medicaid bribery scheme

BRISTOL, Conn. (WFSB) – A former Connecticut state representative pleaded guilty Wednesday to paying bribes to help his fiancée avoid a state audit of her eye care practice.

Christopher Ziogas, 74, of Bristol, admitted in federal court to conspiracy, bank fraud and lying to federal agents. The former lawmaker represented Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District.

Between January and June 2020, Ziogas worked with Konstantinos Diamantis, a top official in the state’s Office of Policy and Management, court documents show. Diamantis took corrupt payments from Ziogas’s fiancée, Helen Zervas, in exchange for killing a state audit of her Medicaid billing.

Diamantis was found guilty in October on 21 federal corruption charges in a separate case involving school construction projects. He’s facing up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced Jan. 14.

Zervas owns Family Eye Care in Bristol and knew she had been fraudulently overbilling Medicaid for medical services she didn’t provide or that weren’t needed, prosecutors said.

In January 2020, the state told Zervas it was going to audit her Medicaid billing. Zervas asked Ziogas for help, and he reached out to Diamantis.

On March 4, 2020, Ziogas paid Diamantis a $20,000 bribe. That same day, Zervas’s lawyer sent state officials a settlement offer. The next day, Zervas cut Ziogas a $25,000 check from her business to pay him back.

On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made another $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis and got reimbursed by Zervas. After Diamantis pressured other state officials, they cancelled the audit and accepted Zervas’s settlement offer on May 1, 2020, court documents say.

On May 12, 2020, Ziogas and Diamantis delivered a settlement check from Family Eye Care for nearly $600,000 to the state. Three days later, Ziogas made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.

Ziogas also committed bank fraud by writing a $5,500 check in November 2019 from a client trust account he managed, made out to Diamantis. He lied to federal agents during their investigation.

Ziogas could face up to 55 years in prison. He was released on $500,000 bond and will be sentenced Feb. 18 in Bridgeport federal court.

Zervas already pleaded guilty to related charges and is waiting to be sentenced. Diamantis is scheduled for trial Jan. 30 in Bridgeport on the Medicaid case.

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