Since 1923, the LaMonica Family has been doing what we love most: feeding our communities. For over 100 years, each generation has brought something new to the business, but what remains constant is our commitment to bringing fresh, flavorful, high-quality seafood products that our customers are proud to serve in their homes.
Our Brooklyn Beginning
Before we were LaMonica Fine Foods, we were the 13th Avenue Fish Market located in Brooklyn, New York. In 1923, Peter LaMonica opened this small fish market, specializing in fresh, locally-harvested seafood. The family had immigrated to the US from Palermo, Italy in 1890, so they felt right at home in this community, as it was a thriving hub for the city’s Italian immigrants, who routinely came by to find the freshest ingredients for their beloved, traditional dishes. And although the business was strong, and getting busier, the family was forced to make a move. Logistically, it stopped making sense to transport thousands of pounds of fresh conch from Cape May, New Jersey all the way back to Brooklyn. Plus, neighbors didn’t love having such a large seafood producer within smelling distance. So they packed it all in and moved a little South.
The Move To Jersey
In 1952, the family and business moved down to New Jersey. Since operations were already set up in Cape May, it seemed like the smartest place to settle down. The beautiful town, one of America’s oldest seaside resorts, was filled with charm and inspired a name change to Cape May Foods. To meet the growing demand for fresh seafood, the business transitioned from a seafood shop to a fishing business that handled all its own processing and packing.
The business stayed on the wharf in Cape May until 1969, when we moved to a town called Burleigh, New Jersey. Just a bit inland but better positioned to expand even more! Now we could can scungilli, sea clams, clam juice, and sell vast amounts of clam tongues. Then, by the mid 1990s, even the Burleigh plant was becoming too small for the full operation as we added in canning even more products such as ocean clams, clam sauces, and chowders.
Where We Are Today
Before long, we needed to expand again. So, in 2000, we transitioned to a larger, newer facility in Millville, New Jersey where we are today. Along the way, we switched our name from Cape May Foods to LaMonica Fine Foods. In 2023, we celebrated 100 years in business!
Today, LaMonica is run by Daniel and Michael, grandsons to Peter LaMonica, along with Daniel’s daughter, Danielle. They took up the helm of the family business in 2000 and since then, we’ve continued to be a bustling seafood supplier to homes and businesses around the country. Every day we are hand-shucking clams that have arrived fresh from our boats leaving out of Atlantic City. And every day we are proud to be the largest hand-shucking clam supplier in the country, getting to serve all of our customers!
Sea Clams, Scungilli & More!
Now that you know a bit more about us, shop our products and get a taste for yourself.
