LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 50th Anniversary of TOPS
Markets

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those busi-
nesses and individuals that are devoted to the welfare of the community
and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate
the 50th Anniversary of TOPS Markets; and
WHEREAS, The story of TOPS Markets began in the early 1920s when
Ferrante Castellani and his family moved from a village outside of Rome,
Italy to Niagara Falls, New York, where they opened their first grocery
store; Ferrante's sons, Armand and Alfred, eventually took over the
business and opened two more stores under the name Great Bear Market;
and
WHEREAS, In the 1950s, Armand met Thomas Buscaglia, owner of T.A.
Buscaglia Equipment Company, and the two men agreed on a joint venture,
Niagara Frontier Services, the forerunner of TOPS Markets; during this
time, Savino Nanula was also a key member of their team; and
WHEREAS, With a great passion for food, people and his company, Armand
Castellani was a true visionary with ideas that were far advanced for
the times; excited by the growth of supermarkets, Castellani and Buscag-
lia partnered with a group of independent Bells store owners, including
Alfonse and Leonard DiMino, among others, who joined them as key part-
ners in their early and expanding grocery enterprise; and
WHEREAS, The group opened its first modern supermarket in 1962, on
Portage Road in Niagara Falls, New York; the same year, Alfonse DiMino
suggested the name TOPS and the team chose the name because they were
determined to give customers the best shopping experience possible; and
WHEREAS, The 1970s saw TOPS, under the leadership of Armand Castellani
and Savino Nanula, continue to grow in Western New York; by the mid-70s,
the company had expanded into the Rochester area; store growth continued
for the next decade and during this time, TOPS opened its first Pennsyl-
vania store in Bradford; and
WHEREAS, In 1991, TOPS was acquired by Ahold, a major international
food retailer based in the Netherlands, and in 2001, TOPS formed an
alliance with Giant Food Stores, another Ahold company based in Pennsyl-
vania; the structure remained until 2006 when Ahold announced they would
sell TOPS Markets to Morgan Stanley Private Equity; and
WHEREAS, Current President and CEO, Frank Curci, led the deal that
returned TOPS to a locally operated organization in the fall of 2007;
since that time, TOPS has grown from 71 to 132 stores stretching from
Northern Pennsylvania to beyond the suburbs of Syracuse, New York; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, TOPS Markets has significantly contributed to
the vitality of local communities, and has created and preserved thou-
sands of jobs; and
WHEREAS, Proud of its history, TOPS Markets remains true to its roots
as a store that has a passion for food and people; today, TOPS stores
retain the neighborhood feel of the original family-owned grocery store;
and
WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowl-
edges TOPS Markets' success, recognizes its contributions to the local
and State economies, and extends its highest commendation to the corpo-
ration and its employees, fully confident that, in its future, it will

enjoy the same success which has so characterized its past; now, there-
fore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of TOPS Markets; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Frank Curci, President and CEO, TOPS Markets.