Italian American Heritage Month: Jerry Della Femina

Jerry Della Femina is a legendary American advertising executive, entrepreneur, and author, best known for his larger-than-life personality and for helping to shape the creative revolution of Madison Avenue during the 1960s and 1970s. Born on July 22, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, Della Femina began his career in advertising humbly—as a mailroom worker—before climbing the ranks through sheer grit, wit, and an instinctive understanding of the power of storytelling.

In 1967, he co-founded Della Femina, Travisano & Partners, an ad agency that quickly became a hotbed of bold, unconventional campaigns. His firm attracted major clients like Pan Am, Beck’s Beer, and Isuzu, and helped set the tone for a more irreverent, personality-driven era in advertising. Della Femina was known for pushing boundaries and crafting memorable, often humorous ads that resonated with the public.

His 1970 memoir, "From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor," pulled back the curtain on the ad industry with a mix of brutal honesty, scandalous anecdotes, and sharp insight. The book became a bestseller and later served as one of the inspirations for AMC’s hit series Mad Men, although Della Femina himself was often critical of the show’s portrayal of the industry. His affectionate memoir "An Italian Grows In Brooklyn" about the formative days of being Italian American and how the culture merged and created a hybrid was also a bestseller.

Beyond advertising, Della Femina made a name for himself as a restaurateur with the launch of Della Femina in East Hampton, and as a newspaper columnist and commentator. His outspoken, sometimes controversial views and his brash charisma kept him in the public eye long after his peak advertising years.

Jerry Della Femina’s career embodies the maverick spirit of a bygone era in American advertising—equal parts showman, salesman, and strategist.