Our Story
In 1997, Salvatore Di Gilio graduated from New England Culinary Institute in the green mountains of Montpelier, Vermont. During his time at culinary school, Sal interned at prestigious NYC restaurants such as the Russian Tea Room, Myriad Restaurant Group, owned by famed actor Robert DeNiro and what is now the Patina Restaurant Group. His first solo event was held in the backyard of his father’s boss’s house and went off without a hitch. From there Sal continued to cater events for friends and family while pursuing an MBA in finance and business knowing eventually his was going to venture out on his own. In 2012, while working for a casino in Westchester County, NY, he met Gabrielle DellaDonna, who became both his business partner and life partner. Gabrielle, who has a wide breath of knowledge in catering sales and event execution comes from one of Westchester’s best event halls, Glen Island Harbor Club as well Millennium Hotels and Constellation Culinary Group was the perfect fit and in 2016 DG Catering was born. Both Sal and Gabbi have a deep passion for hospitality and see the need for personalized events that could be tailored to the clients wants and needs. They both feel that anyone should be able to have a party that is spectacular no matter the budget. The one thing they both agree on is that every event must have a “WOW” factor - food & service must be the focus. So that is what they set to do. DG Catering provides one on one customized events for any occasion - Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, or just a group of family and friends looking to have a good time together. We will bring a little normal back to your events by making your day extra special and worry free.
Salvatore Di Gilio is a Chef/Entrepreneur with an MBA in business and finance. He has over 25 years experience within the hospitality and restaurant industry, with the past 17 years managing large scale corporations both domestically and internationally. Sal has worked with many prestigious organizations from Hilton Hotels, Patina Restaurant Group, The New York Yankee’s and Hard Rock Café International. Sal has also worked in the casino environment and has consulted with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs on development projects.
​Gabrielle DellaDonna is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with 15 years experience serving large scale catering facilities and casinos in the New York area. In her roles in sales and marketing, she has headed up many large-scale events from movie and tv filmings, exotic auto racing experiences, weddings and social events to everyday catering for corporate clients. She brings an unyielding passion and wealth of knowledge about the foodservice industry.
After graduating Mount Vernon High School in 1988, Rodney Kirton’s culinary journey began in the United States Marine Corps Food Service division. He spent 8 years in the Marine Corp, developing both his culinary skills and a deep passion for cooking. Upon an honorable discharge, Rodney headed to the Culinary Institute of America where he attained an A.O.S in Culinary Arts. After interning at the Capital Hilton in Washington DC, he secured roles at various hotels including the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich CT, the Tarrytown Hilton in Tarrytown, NY, and the Ritz Carlton in White Plains, NY. In 2006, Rodney joined the culinary team at Empire City Casino, which is where he met Sal and Gabbi in 2012 and 2014 respectively and he remained there until 2020. After 2 years with Purchase College, he joined the DG Hospitality team full-time in 2022 and the rest, as they say, is history!