Founded in 2002, Tonali's Meats has become a household name for some locals in Denver, CO. Most people don't know the history behind the family that started Tonali's, but it is filled with 50 years worth of experience. After reading the story, you'll feel like a friend of the family, and that's exactly how you'll be treated when doing business with Tonali's Meats.

Although "Snooky" is just a nick name, it can be said anywhere in Denver, and someone is bound to recognize it. Snooky Acierno Sr. opened a little grocery store called Snooky's Market on 40th & Zuni St. in Denver in 1959 where he and his then wife Margaret, lived and gave birth to the next infamous Snooky Jr. The grocery store was small but everyone in North Denver was either familiar with it or was a regular customer. After about 10 years in the business, Snooky Sr. became friends and partners with a man named Jay Melnick. At that time, they didn't have any idea just how successful they would become. They decided to close Snooky's Market, and open a wholesale meat company called Cash and Carry Meats that would distribute meat to restaraunts. That name didn't stick for long though. Soon after, Century Meat Packers was the name they chose to keep. They decided to work out of a building on 40th and Colorado Blvd. Although this business also started out small, it evolved into one of the largest competing wholesale meat packing companies in Denver.

About the time Century Meat Packers opened, Snooky Jr. was just starting to learn the business. He was only 11 years old when he decided to join his father in the meat packing world, and fell in love with the business and everything that goes along with it. Snook Jr. started out throwing trash and being the run around boy. Little did he know he would become one of the greats. Snooky married his long time love, Linda, in 1980 and she also became Once the business out grew the building on Colorado Blvd., it was then moved to a much larger and much more efficient location on 50th and Washington where they sold to more than 600 restaurant's state-wide.

At this point, the business was finally falling into the hands of Snooky Jr. and his wife Linda. When their daughter Ali was born.

He and Linda have been married for 26 years now and fell in love when he was 15 and she was 13. Snooky Jr. made a name for himself through his extremely honest ways and his friendly attitude. Not only did he know everything about the meat industry and everyone else in it, he had, and still has, an unprecedented way of using a knife. He can peel a tenderloin with his eyes closed, while answering the phone and loading a truck, all while never gauging the oh-so expensive meat on the tender. You could say he is one of the only "Meat Men" left in Colorado.

In October 2001, Snooky Sr. passed away due to cancer and a well loved member of Denver was lost and will be forever missed. In January 2002, Century Meat Packers closed the doors. Even though a huge part of Snooky and Linda's life was lost, they never gave up, and never stopped thinking about opening another meat plant. But this time, it would be all up to them.

On Halloween, October 31st 2002, Snooky Jr. and Linda opened up their own business and decided to name it after two people they love the most; their children, Ali and Tony. After some long word games, they finally came up with Tonali's Meats. TON-ALI for Tony and Ali. Pretty clever huh?