In a little town called St. Catarina in Calabria, Ralph Aversa was born. He spent his childhood on the family farm milking cows and using their milk to make fresh mozzarella cheese. His passion for fresh food did not end there. At a very young age he always was impressed with the inner workings of dough. He was intrigued about how 'Bread is alive' and watch in amazement in how it would rise. Coming out of school in the afternoon, he used to go to his uncle's small bakery shop "Il Panificio", where he would round bread and shape long baguettes by hand. He would watch them put it on the scale and cut it by the kilo. It was tough to keep up with all the eagerly awaiting customers.

As he grew, he used to help cut the bread, clean the shop, and of course play with the dough. Then, unfortunately, he had to leave his hometown at 14 to come to America to make his dreams a reality. As soon as he arrived in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, his aunt got him a job to work in Cacia's bakery in South Philadelphia. This is where his career started. Waking up before the sun,he would walk to work in search for something more. He dreamed of one day having a bakery of his own. Here, he learned the real trade, and he also married into the family. Many years later, in 1980, he settled in New Jersey, where his dreams became a reality .

His business started as a one room bakery, simply making bread, pizza and stromboli, with just one employee. As time changed, so did the bakery. Bigger companies started purchasing bread and rolls, and the word spread. Today, Aversa's bread can be found from Northeast Philly all the way to Cape May. The store has changed to become a spacious 3800 sq. ft. Italian specialty store, featuring hundreds of products imported straight from Italy. Now it has grown to become a family owned and operated business, with long time employees that have become part of the family too. The latest success has been the opening of the NEW Aversa's in Brigantine. One thing that has not changed with time is Ralph's determination to produce the highest quality products available and his commitment to satisfying his customers' needs.