The D’Alessandro family has owned and operated Fourth Avenue Supermarket and Butcher Shoppe in Bessemer, Alabama for more than 60 years. Frank D’Alessandro, Sr. and his wife Pru opened the original Fourth Avenue Supermarket in 1951. Immigrants from Italy, the D’Alessandro’s came from the grocery industry and saw a need to supply local residents and businesses with fresh produce and quality meats. The original store was small, about the size of a one-story single-family home.
Over the years and as the business grew, Frank continued to expand his product line and soon became one of the major employers in Bessemer.