The Daniele story begins with two Croatian refugees, Stefano Dukcevich and his wife, Carolina. After being dispossessed of everything they owned by Yugoslavia's communist party at the end of World War II,
Stefano and Carolina fled to Trieste, Italy, the closest "free" town
they could reach.Carolina, who had witnessed the atrocities of the war, says she knew she had reached a safe harbor when she saw American troops in Trieste's train station. "They had American flags on their uniforms," says Carolina, still warmed by the memory, "that's when I knew that we could stop running."
From that moment, their new life began. That meant finding shelter, learning a foreign language, finding a school for their two small children, and finding a craft. Through a fellow refugee from Croatia, Stefano and Carolina got into the meat business. Carolina would spend her days making pork sausages in a small work space, and Stefano would pack them on his bicycle and sell them to local restaurants.
Thanks to the economic miracle that was lifting all of Western Europe in the 1940s and 1950s - and thanks to Carolina's tireless work and Stefano's creativity - the business grew. Stefano was soon able to afford a truck for his deliveries, Carolina soon had help making her delicious sausages, and the operation soon migrated to a larger factory. Soon, Stefano and Carolina had built one of the most successful food businesses in the region, adding products such as cooked hams and prosciutto.