Giuseppe Cocco

It was 1916 when Domenico Cocco began working in a pasta factory at the age of just 14.  Over the years, his work transformed into a passion. The young man learned the techniques and tricks of this art so quickly from the elderly "Master" pasta makers that he, too, was soon called "Master Domenico.“ He dedicated his life to this fascinating craft, guarding all its secrets, which, over time, he revealed to his son Giuseppe, just as the elders had done with him.

In 1944, Giuseppe Cocco inherited his father's legacy during a period of great difficulty, finding himself tasked with recovering pieces of antique pasta-making machines from the rubble of the war that had destroyed Fara San Martino. The machines were rebuilt and put back into operation. Over the years, his experience grew, so much so that he too was nicknamed "Mastro Peppe,“ and his dedication to his work was so recognized that he was named a "Cavaliere del Lavoro" (Knight of Labor).

At that moment, he was inspired to create his own "method" to recreate the pasta of bygone days. He searched for antique artisanal pasta-making machines and restored them to working order. He selected bronze dies to ensure the pasta had the roughness it needed to absorb the sauce. To make his pasta, he finally decided to recreate the drying process, as it was once done in the sun, in low-temperature static cabinets to give the pasta plenty of time to dry, without rushing.