Del Vecchio's owner runs business in the same Vandergrift house where he grew up

From an early age, Tommy Scanga felt at home in a kitchen.

“I cook. That’s what I do,” said Scanga, 62, a lifelong Vandergrift resident.

Cooking alongside his mother, Mary Ann Scanga, Tommy Scanga learned at an early age how to make Italian staples such as homemade sauce with meatballs, braciole and spare ribs.

Scanga, a third-generation butcher, owns and operates his business, Del Vecchio’s Sausage & Fries, a food truck and commissary at 328 Lowell St. in Vandergrift.

It’s the same house where his mother was born and he was raised. It’s the same house here his parents opened a business in Vandergrift called Del Vecchio’s Market in 1925 after his father, Louie, immigrated to America from Italy during the 1940s.

These days, Scanga owns the building.

He said he never considered moving out of the borough.

“I have to stay here,” he said. “I love what I do.”

A Kiski Area High School alumnus, Scanga worked for the family business until it closed in 1993.

He’s a former volunteer with Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Department #2 and also volunteers for the annual Vandergrift holiday festival. He donates 10% to 20% of his food truck sales to every fire department he frequents during seasonal food festivals.

As a young boy, Scanga worked after school alongside his family at the corner store.

He began by making little hoagies and later advanced to cashing out customers using coins in a cup until he proved himself reliable and accurate enough to handle a cash register.

“My parents worked 12 hours a day, six days a week running the market,” Scanga said. “Sunday was the only day off. That was family and church day.”

Scanga juggles volunteering and cooking on only a few hours of sleep each night.

“Younger people don’t want to do what I do. It’s a lot of work,” he said.

His signature original Italian sweet sausage dates to his father’s 1925 recipe. It’s made with spices, all-natural casings and 100% pork shoulder.

Mention Scanga’s name around Vandergrift, and it’s sure to be recognized.

“My kids always joked that we would go into the store and it would take forever because I knew everyone,” Scanga said. “We’ve been part of the town forever.”

Fred Spix, 61, has been friends with Scange since middle school.

“He definitely got his parents’ and uncle’s work ethic,” Spix said. “There’s nothing like his sausage. I’ve been eating it for 40 years.”

Spix said Scanga’s dedication and loyalty to his hometown goes above and beyond.

“If Vandergrift had a color, Tommy would bleed that color,” Spix said.

Longtime customer Lisa Schrader said Scanga has a “heart of gold,” and she loves the eggrolls, fresh-cut fries and meatballs.

“He’s continuing the tradition of his family, and everything is made fresh,” Schrader said.

She said Scanga is known throughout the borough for his tireless efforts to help others.

“He’s caring and generous and helps many people in many ways, like giving his friends rides to work,” Schrader said. “He never hesitates to lend a hand and is the first to step up for fundraisers.”

For Scanga, helping folks in his hometown has always been a priority.

“I gave someone money (anonymously) last week so they could fix their hot water tank, but it’s not about me,” he said. “I do it because I want to help someone — not because I want a favor.”