For generations, the Mediterranean seaport of Gaeta, Italy, was home to the Patalano and Salibello families. Cosmo’s parents came to the U.S. when they were young, establishing roots in the vibrant Italian community of Brooklyn, New York. Cosmo Celebration Sauces pays tribute to his homeland and its rich culinary heritage.

Growing up, Cosmo and his brother and sister would watch his mother cook her special (secret) sauces. When he went away to college he began cooking in earnest, “a matter of survival.” Since 2012, Cosmo’s been developing and marketing his marinara sauce, formerly known as Dr. Salibello’s, in Portland, Oregon.

Cosmo believes in finding the very best ingredients as close to home as possible. They really do have to be the best to make it into our jars. We use onions and garlic from Walla Walla, WA, and only the finest tomatoes from California’s renowned Imperial Valley. We care about the planet, using recyclable jars and tops made in the U.S., encouraging others to recycle, too.

Today, Cosmo Celebration Sauces are the result of five generations of Patalano family recipes—he tweaked his mother’s; she tweaked her great-grandmother’s. Like they did, Cosmo uses only the freshest quality ingredients. And when you get just the right blend of herbs and spices, there is no need to add extra sugar or salt.

His credentials are impressive: U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Vietnam veteran, retired Doctor of Optometry, former owner of Eye Care Professionals Group, inventor of technology for computer vision, Certified Industrial Ergonomist, baritone in a Portland-based community choir, and entrepreneur. You might say Cosmo Salibello is a modern-day Renaissance Man.

Retirement did not figure into Cosmo’s picture of his life’s next chapter. In 2012 he began making and selling his Dr. Salibello’s Marinara Sauce, primarily found in gourmet and specialty markets in and around Portland. Today, we’ve cooked up a new look on the outside but inside, we haven’t changed a thing. We are now Cosmo Celebration Sauces.™

Cosmo says, “This is really my mama Maria’s genius. If people are looking for a real Italian family experience from a culinary standpoint, this is it. I want you to imagine my mother cooking in her kitchen. I want you to feel the connection to her love of family and good food. I think we’re all seeking connections with things that matter.”