Arthur A. Ciocca ‘59

Arthur A. Ciocca, chairman and owner of the Wine Group, Inc., is passionate about entrepreneurship and about Holy Cross. He describes entrepreneurs as “people who have a vision and creativity and who are willing to venture out of the comfort zone and take risks.”

Believing that Holy Cross students — no matter what their field of study — can bring their rigorous liberal arts and Jesuit experiences to the world of business and entrepreneurship, he helped found the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies. Plus, with Holy Cross’ mission-driven emphasis on working for the greater good, he believes Holy Cross students will engage themselves in business ventures with an ethical perspective.

Ciocca formed the Wine Group in 1981 when he and his associates purchased the wine assets from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York. Today, the Wine Group is the third largest wine company in the United States by sales volume. The company won the Winery of the Year Award at the 2005 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, a gathering of some 10,000 industry leaders with more than 500 vendors representing growers, vintners, and allied industry members.

Ciocca entered Holy Cross in 1955, enrolling in the four-year Navy ROTC program. After serving in the Navy post-graduation, Ciocca worked for General Foods, E&J Gallo Winery, and the Wine Group of Coke New York before forming his own company.