Massaro: Meat cutter a chip off the ol' butcher block

By Gary Massaro, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 4, 2006 at midnight

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ARVADA - Snooky Acierno inherited more than a trade from his father.

He, like his late father, is a butcher. But he also took on his father's nickname of Snooky.

Both were christened Tony. But, as the family story goes, an aunt of Senior said the topknot of hair on his infant head reminded her of the comic strip character Baby Snooks. So Snooky he became.

Senior died in 2001. He worked at two packing plants and co-founded Century Meat Packers.

The current Snooky started going there as a youngster, initially grinding hamburger and unloading trucks.

"I fell in love with the meat business when I was 10 years old," he said. "I liked being with my dad. I like being an artist. You've got to shape the meat and make it just right."

Snooky and his wife, Linda, now own Tonali's Meats at 6260 W. 52nd Ave., which they founded in October 2003. The company is named after their children - Tony and Ali.

Before that, Snooky worked with his father. Linda started working there young, too.

Family story: Her father, Al Ursetta, and Snooky's father - friends since childhood - both joked that Snooky and Linda were going to marry each other.

Turns out there was no punch line. Linda went along with it.

"That was love at first sight," she said.

As with Senior and Snooky, Tonali's is a family affair, too.

Linda and daughter Ali work up front while Snooky cuts meat in back.

"We'd never see him," Linda and Ali said in unison.

Work comes naturally to Linda, who dropped out of high school.

"I was ready to go out and work," she said. "And I've never stopped."

They just added a new feature to their business, a retail store to complement their wholesale business. They stock chicken, beef, pork and lamb. They'll even special order goat, although Linda wrinkles her nose and makes weird faces at any mention of "goat."

After work, they go as a family to a restaurant to eat - restaurants that buy meat from Tonali's.

"I'm the only Italian woman who doesn't cook," Linda said.

Ali told a family secret: "She'll go to the grocery store and come back with hairspray and magazines."

Added Snooky: "She will also bring back detergent."

And then they head home. Snooky has an early bed time. He wakes up so early he can rouse the roosters.

"He's the only person I've known in my whole life who has never awakened any day in his life late or not wanting to go to work," Linda said. "He's getting coffee ready and he's whistling. I want to go strangle him."

Snooky had his own explanation.

"I'm happy I woke up," he said.

When Gary Massaro listens, people talk. massarog@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5271

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