My family is Sicilian, from Palermo and Agrigento and they arrived in Niagara Falls, NY, in the days just prior to World War I. My grandfather, Papa Pete, was a home winemaker; it was a passion of his as well as a family tradition.

His “Fiascos” were earthen pottery jugs used to store wine out in the fields and orchards for easy access. My earliest fond remembrance of ceramics is of these “Fiasco Jugs”.

Our Fiasco line, the vibrantly swirled and colored style, is named in honor of Papa Pete and his fiascos. The double-entendre with the English word is also a source of constant amusement - well, at least for Tracy.