Salvatore "Sam" Cipriano, the chief executive of Detroit-based Better Made Snack Foods, died Tuesday of heart failure, Crain's Detroit business reports.
Cipriano, who was CEO for 10 years, was the second generation to lead the company at 10148 Gratiot Ave. It was founded in 1930 by his father, Peter, and Cross Moceri. The Cipriano family purchased full ownership in 2003.
"He was loved by everyone at Better Made and those that knew him, and will be missed tremendously," Cathy Gusmano, Cipriano's sister and chairman of the board at Better Made, says in a release.
Last year, as the company began celebrating its 90th anniversary, Salvatore Cipriano said:
“Our family has always taken pride in how we make our products with quality being paramount. From our humble beginnings when Detroit had over 20 potato chip manufacturers, we’ve tried to make the best product possible, and that hard work paid off as we’re the last one standing. I’ve always said, we’re not trying to be the biggest, we’re trying to be the best."