In 1870, the Danbury and Norwalk line of the Metro-North Railroad extended a branch line up to the center of town. The surrounding area, once known as “Ridgefield Station” or “Beers Station,” soon took on a new nickname: Branchville. For the last century, no one family has helped shape Branchville’s story more than the Anconas.
Giuseppe “Joseph” Ancona was born in 1890 in Palma di Montechiaro, Agrigento, Sicily. He arrived in America through Ellis Island in 1912, joining his brother Frank in Branchville. The two worked at the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill in Georgetown before returning to Europe to fight for the United States in World War I. Joseph saw combat in the Argonne Forest, where he was gassed during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and later awarded a Purple Heart.
When the brothers returned to Connecticut, they had a vision. Purchasing a parcel of roadside real estate along the Danbury and Ridgefield Turnpike, Frank opened an eponymous restaurant while Joseph constructed a mixed-use building—with a general store on the ground floor and living quarters above.
In the early 1920s, Joseph journeyed back to his hometown and married Josephine Bellante. The newlyweds packed up Josephine’s belongings into two blue steamer trunks—heirlooms the family still owns—and began their life together in Ridgefield.
When Prohibition ended on December 5, 1933, Joseph expanded the family’s business ventures, opening Joe’s Package Store in a small building alongside the general store.
“Here’s a bill from December, 1933 signed by my grandfather,” Mitch Ancona says, holding up his phone to show a photograph of the neatly handwritten bill. “Ballantine’s is a Scotch. So you can see he started selling alcohol as soon as he could post-Prohibition.”
Mitch is Joseph’s grandson and a third-generation owner of Ancona’s Wines & Liquors. We’re sitting in The Annex—an event space used for wine tastings—sipping coffees from Tusk & Cup, the café owned by his cousin Joe and Joe’s wife, Laura. The Annex occupies the apartment where Mitch’s grandparents once lived, and near the entrance sits one of Josephine’s blue steamer trunks, a quiet reminder of the past.
As Ridgefield’s economy evolved in the first half of the 20th century, Joseph proved shrewd beyond retail. When the G.B. Gruman Ice Tool Company closed in 1934, Joseph bought the property. Then, he and other locals formed the Branchville Civic Association and purchased an empty lot for neighborhood children on what would become Playground Road. In the late 1970s, the lot was converted into a ball field, where games are still played today.
Joseph and Josephine raised four children: Nazzareno “Nano,” Joseph Paul “Joe” Jr., Phyllis, and John. By the late 1950s, the Anconas were operating three thriving Branchville businesses—Joe’s Package Store (where CT PC Tech stands today), Ancona’s Market (now home to Ally Bally Bee), and Branchville Hardware, which Nano opened in 1951 (in the space now shared by Tusk & Cup, The Angel Cooperative, and Clark Construction).
When Joseph passed away unexpectedly in 1958, the family rallied. Nano closed the hardware store, opting to focus solely on the liquor store with his wife, Carol. Joe Jr. and John took over the grocery store, while Phyllis managed the books.
Nano had met Carol Gartrell years earlier, when she was just 11 and her family moved to Park Lane—a small street around the corner from the Ancona businesses. The two married on July 4, 1956, and went on to have four children: Matthew, Cheryl, Cynthia, and Mitch.
In 1962, the Anconas undertook a renovation of their shopping plaza. Joe’s Package Store moved into a larger space, gaining both square footage and a new name: Ancona’s Wines & Liquors.
“By the late 1970s, my Uncle Joe saw how the supermarket industry was growing,” Mitch says. “You couldn’t have a small footprint and supply a larger market. So it was his idea to build a bigger building.”
The Anconas leveraged all their savings—“At the height of the highest inflation,” Mitch notes—to build a larger shopping center on the Gruman lot. Ancona’s Wines & Liquors opened at 720 Branchville Road just in time for July 4, 1980, with Ancona’s Market following a few months later.
It was into this industrious family that Mitch was raised, absorbing his father’s keen business sense as if by osmosis. He took up the reins full-time when his father passed away in 2004, purchasing the business from his mother.
Over the past two decades, Mitch has assembled a team of steadfast and savvy employees. The expertise and dedication of Monique Arascunaga, General Manager; Codey Foster, Wine Director, Ludovic Coatanroch, Director of Operations; Ben Marino, Beer and Spirits Buyer; Gina Ancona, Accounting, and others has been instrumental in tripling the retail footprint of Ancona’s Wines & Liquors.
In 2010, Ancona’s was the first package store opened in Wilton (yes, the very first). This feat would have seemed impossible just years earlier, considering Wilton had clung to its ‘dry’ status since 1852, resisting even the repeal of National Prohibition. But by the late 2000s, momentum was shifting.
“The town figured out that they don't have the power to change the law, only the state does,” Mitch explains. “So the initial petition got struck down and a new one had to be scripted very specifically based on state law.”
Wilton residents voted in favor of package stores on November 5, 2009. Following this, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the first application—for Ancona's Wines & Liquors. The new location opened at 5 River Road in Wilton in April 2010.
In 2018, the store celebrated its 85th anniversary with another brand-new location—this one in the heart of downtown Ridgefield at 17b Governor Street.
With an impressive acumen for business rooted in an unshakable commitment to quality, Ancona’s has not lost sight of their patriarch’s core philosophy.
“Our goal has never been to make money,” Mitch says. “It’s to make the person who walks through our doors happy. And that might mean saying, ‘No, we don't carry that, but I know the store down the street does. Do you want me to call them for you?’ Profit is just the positive byproduct of doing everything else well.”
Something else the Ancona's team does well? They have an uncanny knack knowing what to stock their shelves with. In the 1980s, they were early adopters of the first microbrew boom, carrying brands like Pete’s Wicked and Sam Adams. Then came local craft breweries, like Berkshire Brewing Company and Watson Farmhouse Brewery, which are still delivered to Ancona’s by the brewers themselves.
More recently, Ancona’s became one of the first local retailers to carry THC products. They now stock an ever-changing selection of over 40 cannabis beverages in addition to adaptogens—herb and mushroom-based products formulated to elevate mood and reduce stress. With stacks of four-pack holders on hand, customers are encouraged to create their own assortments.
The real jewels in each location, though, are the wines—something Nano wished to focus on when he changed the name of the store. Rows of ruby, garnet, amber, and gold bottles selected by Ancona’s Codey and Mitch, who are both certified sommeliers. They procure wines made with intention, minimal intervention, and authenticity.
“The wine industry isn’t regulated by the FDA,” Mitch explains. “There are 76 approved additives winemakers can use. So my theory is that sometimes when you don't feel so good the next morning, it’s not always how much you drank—but what you drank.”
That's why Ancona’s shelves feature not only popular labels but also a robust selection of organic, natural, and biodynamic wines. The non-alcoholic selections are equally thoughtful, spanning beer, wine, and other creative options.
Beyond retail, the Ancona family has cultivated an ethos of giving back throughout the last century.
“One of the things my dad took from my grandfather, and I learned from my dad,” Mitch says, “is that all local businesses have a responsibility to give back.”
For Joseph, that meant helping form the Branchville Civic Association and purchasing green space for neighborhood kids. For Nano, it meant serving on local boards and supporting community charities.
Mitch honors his family’s legacy both in Ridgefield and beyond. An avid cyclist, he has participated in the DIY DK100 to raise funds for the Norwalk River Valley Trail, and in the Pan-Mass Challenge, riding from Sturbridge to Provincetown to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And as a true Italian, Mitch founded a bocce tournament to make philanthropy more engaging.
“I wanted to create a fun, interactive way to donate money to local nonprofits and charities,” Mitch explains. “So now, instead of just writing a check, people play bocce. Everyone wins something—but the better you play, the more you win.”
Ancona’s also partners with producers on philanthropic projects, donating a portion of wine sales. There is School House Red, which gives money to preservation efforts for the Branchville School House. The Seated Rose, a California rosé, donates to the Mark Twain Library in Redding. And Buy This Wine Help End Cancer, a red blend, donates to cancer research.
Sadly, Ancona’s Market closed its doors in 2014. But the Ancona name—and the “Secret Recipe” Famous Cheese Spread—both live on in Ancona’s Wines & Liquors. (If you've never tried the dip, you’re in for a treat—it’s available in coolers near the registers.)
Walk into any Ancona’s location, and you’re entering into more than a store. You’re stepping into a century of family decisions, immigrant dreams, and a genuine commitment to making people happy. That’s what Joseph started, what Nano protected, and what Mitch and the entire Ancona’s team continue to build—one customer, one bottle, one bocce tournament at a time.
Visit anconaswine.com and follow @anconaswines to learn more about upcoming events, shop online, and see what’s new.