Angelo’s Wine & Spirits’ Michael DeFilippo and his son, Angelo, Scott Favale and Tom DeFilippo.

Angelo’s Wine & Spirits
1044 Brooklawn Avenue
Bridgeport, CT

Square footage: 2,000

Years in operation: 4½ years

By Sara Capozzi

Bridgeport’s family-owned and -operated Angelo’s Wine & Spirits will celebrate its fifth anniversary this fall while continuing to bring its special brand of customer service and selection to its clientele. Owned by Michael DeFilippo and run by his father, Tom, and Manager Scott Favale, the store is named after Michael’s 8-year-old son, Angelo, who stands to inherit the store someday, making him the fourth generation of DeFilippos to work in the industry.

The family had originally planned to open the store in 2016, but their plans were stymied by a zoning battle with the city of Bridgeport, Michael explained. After years in court alongside other businesses, zoning in the area was finally changed and the DeFilippo family opened Angelo’s Wine & Spirits on Thanksgiving 2020. “All we wanted was to be a neighborhood store, and that’s what we are,” Tom said. “We’re very happy.”

Located on a side street on the Fairfield line, the DeFilippos like the building’s location. Angelo’s offers ample parking and a well-lit lot in a safe neighborhood and draws diverse clientele from Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford and Trumbull.

Together, Favale and Tom bring a combined 90 years of experience in the package store industry. Tom had run his father’s package store with his brother for years, then spent more than 20 years working for a wholesaler in the state, while Favale worked at the original BevMax for a large part of his career. “We’re old-school liquor guys,” Tom said. “It’s customer service from the time you walk in to the time you walk out.”

Michael and his wife, Chantal, ran the store for a year and half to get it started, but the plan was always for Tom to take over. “The idea was always to get him off the truck and get him back to the liquor store, so when he retired, he came in and basically took the reins over here,” Michael said.

Angelo’s keeps a well-rounded selection of products in stock, offering shoppers more than 80 feet of bourbons and over 40 feet of tequila SKUs. Shoppers will find plenty of allocated items as well.

In wine, sweeter wines like imported Moscato are popular and brands from Italian and Portuguese producers sell well. Ready-to-drink cocktails, seltzers, high-end tequilas and cordials are also top sellers. Angelo’s prioritizes local businesses, carrying brews from Tribus Beer Co. and Berlinetta Brewing Co. and spirits from Fifth State Distillery.

The team takes time to build relationships with regulars, and they continue to build up their base. “Customers are our No. 1 priority,” said Tom. “It’s all about service. When you walk in here, you have 100% of my attention.” Angelo’s stays connected with the community through giving back to local charities, churches and schools. Shoppers will always find someone from the DeFilippo family at the store. More perks include regular in-store tastings and online ordering through the store’s website and, soon, the family plans to expand and remodel.