James Corigliano, founder of Rosina Holdings, passed away peacefully July 10 in his Amherst, N.Y., home surrounded by family.


James A. Corigliano, founder and chairman of the board of Rosina Holdings, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., passed away peacefully July 10 in his Amherst, N.Y., home surrounded by family.

Corigliano established Rosina Food Products, Inc. in 1963 when he began a small storefront sausage business in Buffalo, N.Y., that serviced neighborhood meat markets, supermarkets and restaurants. The company was named after his wife Rose, which translates in Italian to Rosina.

In the early stages of running his business, Corigliano provided meatballs for a local church fundraising event using his wife’s recipe. Over the next several years, he continued to expand his offerings to include multiple varieties of meatballs and complementary products.  

In the mid 1970’s, his sons, Frank and Russell, joined the company. As the business continued to grow, a new larger facility was purchased in 1981, allowing Rosina to expand into new markets and make their products available nationally. In 1997, Russell became president and CEO, and Frank became executive vice president, both assuming responsibility for the day-to-day operations. James continued his role as chairman of the board and remained active in the business until his death.