When I was little my Grandpa told me he knew Chef Boyardee, but he also told us kids that a purple bear lived in the basement to keep use out of there. I was looking it up one day on Wiki and there was indeed a real Chef Boiardi who lived in Cleveland, Ohio where my Grandparents lived! My grandpa owned a trucking co. so he probably redelivered the sauce for him. I vaguely remember my mom telling me that they used to get “payed” with the barter system when times where hard for many families. I should ask if she remembers eating a lot of pasta. They did have 11 kids so it was very possible. Most of my Aunts & Uncles (who are Irish & German) married Italians, including my mom.