Frederick Wildman

Richard Cacciato

President & CEO

Born in Italy, Cacciato immigrated with his family to New York as a child. Following his graduation from Hofstra University in 1967 with a B.A. in Economics and a 2nd Lieutenant’s Commission in the US Army from its ROTC program, Cacciato decided he wanted to be a “career soldier.” He joined the Army and rapidly advanced to the rank of Captain. He served in the Republic of Vietnam as a Captain Rifle Company Commander from 1969 to 1970. Then, Cacciato recalls, “The realities of army life sunk in,” and upon completion of his tour of duty in Vietnam in 1970, he resigned his commission. Cacciato began looking for a job and landed at 21 Brands’, promoting products such as Ballantine’s Scotch, Mt. Gay Rum and Galliano. 21 Brands’ was home to Cacciato for 19 years.

Cacciato began first as a salesman in the New York City area, then climbed the ranks quickly to President and CEO. During his tenure at 21 Brands’, Cacciato formed a close association with the Hiram Walker Group, who invited him to join Frederick Wildman and Sons, one of their subsidiaries, as president and CEO in May 1989.

In 1993, Frederick Wildman and Sons was acquired by a group of investors including Gruppo Italiano Vini, producers of Folonari, Melini, Santi and Ca’Donini and other Italian wines; Alsace’s Hugel & Fils; Rhone’s famed Paul Jaboulet Aine, Olivier Leflaive and Vincent from Burgundy; Champagne Pol Roger, and Richard Cacciato.

Rocco Lombardo

Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of St. John’s University in 1993 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance and Accounting. After spending five years with Chemical Bank, currently JP Morgan Chase in Middle Market Asset Based Finance, Rocco joined Frederick Wildman in 1995 as Assistant Treasurer. In 1997, Rocco was promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer and occupied that position until 2008. In 2004, Wildman acquired the Beer Import Company, a New Jersey Wholesaler of Beer, Wine and Spirits. And in May of 2005, Wildman expanded its’ New York based Wholesale operations’ into Upstate New York.

Playing an integral part in Wildman’s Wholesale expansion, Rocco was appointed the position of Chief Operating Officer in January, 2005. Today, the Wholesale division now encompasses three markets with eight Sales Managers and forty-five Sales people. In January 2009, with Frederick Wildman restructuring their National Sales division, Rocco was appointed the newly established position of National Sales and Marketing Director of Fine Wines.

Operating under the tutelage and leadership of Richard Cacciato, Rocco currently is responsible for Wildman’s Operations, Wholesale Companies and National Fine Wine Sales division. Understanding Wildman’s leadership position in the Sales and Marketing of Fine Wines, both as a Wholesaler and Importer, Rocco is fully committed in continuing the storied tradition established by this historic Fine Wine Company.

James DiCicco

Chief Financial Officer

James A. DiCicco is the Director of Finance of Frederick Wildman and Sons. He is responsible for all accounting and financial activities including functions of the treasury, capital structuring and risk management, tax efficiency and compliance, controllership, reporting, and corporate budgeting.

Mr. DiCicco joined Frederick Wildman in October 2005 as controller and was promoted to Treasurer in 2008 and then Director of Finance in 2009.  Mr. DiCicco has over 20 years experience in accounting and finance.  Prior to joining the company he held senior financial positions at several companies in different industries ranging from defense to manufacturing and distribution. Mr. DiCicco is a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelors Degree in Economics from SUNY Albany and a Masters Degree in Accounting from C.W. Post.

Martin Sinkoff

Director of Marketing & Fine Wine

Martin Sinkoff began his career in the wine trade in 1978 working for the venerable New York retailer, Morrell and Company, at 307 East 53rd Street, the same building in which, today and on a different floor, he now manages the marketing for Frederick Wildman and Sons’ Fine Wine Division!  After working for Morrell and Co., Sinkoff met and was hired, in 1979, by Alexis Lichine, the famous author and importer, to translate parts of Lichine’s Encyclopedia of Wine and to work as Lichine’s assistant at his property in Margaux, France, Chateau Prieure-Lichine.  Sinkoff returned to the United States in 1980 and was recruited by Robert Glazer, then president of Glazer’s Distributors, to build a fine wine department for Glazer’s in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Arizona.

Sinkoff moved to Dallas, Texas in the (very hot) summer of 1980 and worked as Fine Wine Director of Glazer’s for ten years. During this time Glazer’s leaped into the forefront of fine wine distributors in Texas (and  has today the largest wine market share among all distributors there).  Sinkoff is generally credited with developing brands and companies including Beringer, Iron Horse, Chateau and Estates Wines Company, Guigal, Duboeuf, Click Imports and many more for Glazer’s.  In 1990, Sinkoff joined the Val d’Orbieu, an innovative cooperative winery in the south of France to create a national importer, Val d’Orbieu Wines and build new brands including Reserve St Martin and La Cuvee Mythique. This company successfully became Martin Sinkoff Wines, Inc. with the addition of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in 1997 and then was merged in 2001 with Pasternak Wine Imports.  Sinkoff joined Pasternak Wine Imports as Marketing Director to help build the portfolio of his former brands alongside the Pasternak brands owned by Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and to recruit new brands.

In 2005 Sinkoff left Pasternak Wine Imports and was recruited to help William Grant and Sons, the famous Scotch and Gin producer, manage its wine business and in 2007, the job complete for William Grant, Sinkoff opened a consulting concern which represented, among other clients, Wines of Chile.  In the summer of 2008, Sinkoff had lunch with Richie Cacciato, president of Frederick Wildman and Sons, and following that a meeting with Rocco Lombardo, COO of Frederick Wildman, and the rest of the story is being written now as Frederick Wildman continues to grow.

 

Martin Sinkoff holds a BA from Brown University (1978), an MBA from Southern Methodist University (1985) and was awarded the Ordre du Mérite Agricole by the French Government for service to the French wine industry (2004).  He lives in Manhattan and drives a Vespa.