It all started in the late 1890s when Vito and Cira Lucido immigrated from the island of Sicily and landed in New Orleans, Louisiana. They purchased a farm in Independence, Louisiana, through hard work, then built a large home to accommodate their 12 children. The house had no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and water had to be pumped outdoors for the family’s needs. Every year, just before Christmas, the Lucidoʻs had a tradition of butchering a hog and making sausage for the holidays. All of the family members participated in making the sausage, and as they married and had children, the Italian sausage tradition continues to this day. Another ongoing custom for the family was making Sicilian sauce and meatballs for Sunday dinner and holidays. The family grew many tomatoes and vegetables on the farm during the summer, and then those tomatoes were cooked down, and spices were added to make the rich Sicilian spaghetti sauce. The same went for preparing meatballs; the recipe for creating the meatballs has been in the Lucido cookbook for over 100 years and continues to delight Vito and Ciras' descendants. Now you, too, can enjoy these fine Lucido foods that have been passed on for generations, prepared fresh daily, in the convenience of your own home. Impress your dinner guests or family members with a delicious Lucido Italian meal tonight!