Angelo Tedeschi (pronounced te-de, in 1923, opened a store in the basement of the family home in Rockland, Massachusetts. Since then, the Tedeschi family has been involved in the retail food industry, early on in the grocery store industry, and more recently in the convenience store industry. In 1972, the Tedeschi family acquired the Curtis Compacts chain of convenience stores, which was later renamed to Tedechi Food Shops.