Palm Beach County James Sclafani

James Sclafani (a/k/a Big Jim) — a loving husband, father, and entrepreneur, died on February 24, 2023, after living a fulfilling 92 years, with his sweetheart of 73+ years at his side. He was the father of three children who loved him dearly. They, his nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, with one on the way, are his defining achievements. He loved documenting their triumphs through photography and 8mm home movies and cartooning original cards for special occasions.

His story didn’t start in Florida, where he made his home for 50+ years and won the admiration and love of generations. It began in Brooklyn, New York, in 1930 when James Sclafani entered the world to James and Dagny Sclafani. His father was born in Brooklyn, and his mother came to America from Norway when she was nine. James graduated from Walden High School in Walden, New York, in 1950, where he met the love of his life, Arlene J. Sclafani, at a local Hi-Y dance in Newburgh, New York. He was 20, and she was 17 years old.

He went on to Alfred University, was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, and graduated in 1954 with a Business Degree. Soon after, he and Arlene married in July of 1954 in Newburgh, New York, and then moved to North Carolina, where Jim entered the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune as a first lieutenant. They quickly started their family with the arrival of their two sons, James Victor (JV) Sclafani and Robert Sclafani, just ten months later.

After serving in the Marines, Jim returned to Walden, New York, and started Sclafani Foods, the first of his family businesses, producing spaghetti sauce and later expanding into frozen pizzas. Jim and Arlene were ahead of their time by offering samples of their frozen pizzas in local grocery stores with a smile, known today as “brand ambassador marketing” - a foray into their future business success.

In 1965, they welcomed their daughter Regina Sclafani. In 1972, Sclafani Foods succumbed to the economic conditions of the early ‘70s, leading the Sclafani family to Florida, where Jim had found a role with Entenmann’s. At the young age of 49, beginning daily at 5 a.m., Jim drove an Entenmann’s truck, delivering pastries to local Miami retailers and making stately in-store displays. He unassumingly photographed and cartooned his work, displayed as a model for his peers. The work was noticed and praised by Entenmann founders Robert and William Entenmann, who asked what creative agency was responsible. They soon learned the driver, “Big Jim” was responsible for the work and, accordingly, promoted Big Jim to begin Entenmann’s Information Center to promote the product using new Audio / Visual (AV) technologies. Big Jim accepted the position under one strict condition: “also to hire my wife, as she is the brains of the operation.” Of course, they said yes.