About Us

In 1928 John and Anna Cesarale started a fish market a couple blocks from its current location in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. The husband and wife team came from a seaport town in Italy, located just south of Rome, called Gaeta. Coming from families of fishermen, they began their journey in America selling fresh fish, produce, and home essentials to the local community of immigrants and blue collar workers. 

The current name of “New Deal Fish Market” was born in the early to mid 1930s to honor a program, created by then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, known as The New Deal.   As history has shown, The New Deal helped get America out of The Great Depression. 

In the early 1940s John, Anna, and some family members purchased a small building  with a store front.  They moved the fish market to that store front and lived in the apartment above for the remainder of their lives. 

In the late 1970's  the torch was handed to John and Anna's nephew, Sal Fantasia and his wife Franca.  Sal and Franca cultivated a loyal following of customers with Sal's expert eye for sourcing the best quality fish and Franca's endearing personality, and wonderful recipes.  Over the years, various close and extended family members helped out at the fish market.  

Shortly after the turn of the new millennium, Sal and Franca's son, Carl, moved on from a 10 year career in the energy industry to take a leap of faith and continue his family's legacy.  

Today, Carl and his team of fishmongers tend to the needs of discerning seafood aficionados by offering the finest hand cut fish, and customer service that can't be found anywhere else.