DiRusso's Sausage celebrates 37th year at the Canfield Fair

The vendor is sponsoring the Rooster Crowing Contest and the Hay, Grain and Fruit Building this year.
CANFIELD -- DiRusso's Sausage, one of the oldest food vendors at the Canfield Fair, will celebrate its 37th year there by selling thousands of pounds of Italian sausage sandwiches at stands throughout the fairgrounds.
DiRusso's signature medium-hot link sausage has been a favorite of fairgoers since 1963 when Augustine "Augie" DiRusso, founder of DiRusso's Sausage Inc., first went into the concession business, said Laura J. Lonardo, director of sales and marketing.
Back then, DiRusso marketed his sausage sandwiches as "Italian hot dogs." "They were so popular," he said, "We ran out of everything from sausage to buns to propane. We were running all over just to get to the end of the fair. We put Italian sausage on the map in this area."
During that first season, DiRusso also sold hot dogs, pizza and lupines but the popularity of his Italian sausage drove the business and soon became his sole focus.
Expansion: Today, DiRusso's Italian sausage sandwiches are sold at more than 100 fairs and festivals throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. During the fair, DiRusso's Italian turkey sausage, which is lower in fat and cholesterol, will be sold at the company's Boardman Street location.
Quality, consistency and customer service account for increasing popularity and growing sales of DiRusso's sausage and related products, said Robert DiRusso, Augie's nephew. Robert DiRusso is the company's current owner.
At this year's fair, DiRusso's sponsored the Rooster Crowing Contest and the Hay, Grain and Fruit Building.