The DiFeo family started selling cars in Jersey City in the late 1940s, but the plan for a customer-first business began much earlier. 

 

Samuel C. DiFeo (1915-2006) first worked in his father's Italian pastry shop and was locally renowned for his elaborate cakes. The family was a cornerstone of Jersey City's downtown community, where kids got free cookies and families lined up for Easter chocolates and summer ices. ​​​

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Shortly after he turned 30, Sam got into the used-car business. By the 1960s he owned and operated Buick, Pontiac, and Ford businesses on Communipaw Avenue. He raised his family a few blocks away, and his sons Joe and Sam joined the family business. 

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Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Sam, Joe, and their father grew DiFeo Auto Group to encompass 15 dealerships across New Jersey, many on the West Side of Jersey City. Today, the third generation of DiFeos (six of Sam senior's grandchildren) operates dealerships in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida.