It Started With a Veteran's Loan and a Dream

In the spring of 1946, Vincent Caputi stepped off whatever train or bus brought him back to Buffalo after World War II, and he got right to work. He applied for a Veterans loan and opened his first liquor store at the corner of East Delavan and Humboldt Parkway. No family fortune, no big investors — just a returning serviceman who wanted to build something of his own in the city he loved.

Growing the Business, One Move at a Time

That first little store did well enough that Vincent had to find a bigger space. He moved to East Delavan and Oakgrove, where he stayed for years until the business outgrew that location too. In 1968, he made the jump out to Northtown Plaza in Amherst, landing Caputi Wine & Liquors on Sheridan Drive where it still sits today. By then his son Bill was already working alongside him, learning the trade from the ground up — stocking shelves, talking to customers, figuring out what people wanted before they even knew themselves.

The Second Generation Takes the Reins

In 1984, Bill Caputi officially bought the business from his father. But Vincent didn't just walk away. He semi-retired and kept coming in a day or two a week, right up until 2004. That's nearly 60 years of showing up. The man who started it all with a Veterans loan was still behind the counter well into his later years, because that's just who he was. Bill carried that same work ethic forward, running the liquor store while also opening Caputi's Sheridan Pub in 1980 — a sports bar on Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda that became famous for its Cajun wings, beef on weck, and Friday fish fry. If you grew up in the Northtowns, you know the place.

The Third Generation Adds a New Chapter

Now Bill's sons have entered the picture. Vinny Caputi took over the pub, and when the pandemic hit, he and his brother Derek put a wood-fired oven in the parking lot to keep serving the neighborhood. The response was so strong they built out Candyman Pizza in a back room of the pub — named for Vinny's love of the Grateful Dead and Derek's love of horror movies. Derek runs the oven, and the smoky, blistered pies have built their own loyal following.

Same Road, Same Values

From a corner store on East Delavan in 1946 to a liquor store, a pub, and a wood-fired pizza spot all anchored on Sheridan Drive — the Caputi family's story is really a story about what happens when people just keep showing up. Three generations, almost 80 years, and the same commitment to doing things the right way. That's not just a business. That's a piece of the 716.