“An Incredible Love Story” is how one of the daughter’s of Pizza Roll icon, Jeno Paulucci described her parents marriage. The last chapter of that love story ended on Thanksgiving morning, when 93 year old Jeno Paulucci died at his home, just 4 days after his beloved wife passed away. The couple would have been married 65 years in Feb. 2012. His family remembers him as a fantastic husband and wonderful father.
The worldwide known business icon from Duluth and Minnesota’s Iron Range described himself in a 2003 interview as “Just an Iron Range Peddler”. But this “Iron Range Peddler” left a mark in the business world and food industry that won’t be soon forgotten.
Jeno Paulucci built several food empires, including Chun King, Jeno’s Inc. and Luginos Inc. He started in the food business at the “ripe old age of 12″, working in a Hibbing, Mn. food market. After graduating from high school, he worked as a traveling salesman for a wholesale grocer before starting up his first business, Chun King. He sold that business to R.J. Reynolds Foods Inc., before starting a number of other ones.
Jeno’s Inc., the one business that bears his own name started out as a maker of pizza rolls. At one time Jeno’s was the largest employer in Duluth, Mn. He later sold that business to Pillsbury, but at the age of 72 he began another company called Luigino’s Inc., which made frozen, microwaveable entrees and snacks.
Paulucci has been described by many as being a loyal giving friend, as well as a feared enemy. “His temper was the stuff of many stories”, a friend and former employee was quoted as saying. If he disagreed with something, everyone knew it. He took out full page newspaper ads denouncing people and policies he disagreed with. He even went so far as to sue his own daughter in 2005. Jeno Paulucci once said, ” I’ve never gone through life worrying what people think of me”.
Paulucci, born to Italian immigrant parents in 1918 lived a life of poverty as a child. He would pick up spilled coal along the local railroad tracks to heat the family home. After he became a wealthy businessman, he generously gave a lot back to the community.
Although, Jeno Paulucci never really became a part of the Duluth establishment, he had a hand in creating many civic organizations and worked on community projects such as local hockey. He spearheaded The Minnesota Taconite Amendment as a way to try and save the iron mining industry in the area. He used his influence with the powerful for the betterment of the entire community.
The Iron Range native icon businessman, Jeno Paulucci, and his wife will both be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by many.
Source: Duluth News Tribune