Al Scramuzza, founder of the New Orleans institution Seafood City, has died. The family of the Crawfish King says he passed away in his home in Metairie yesterday after a brief illness. Al Scramuzza was 97.
Scramuzza's retail seafood shop took up an entire block on N. Broad St., selling as much as ten TONS of crawfish per day. The business's TV ads with their catchy jingle helped make "1826 North Broad" part of the New Orleans lexicon.
In addition to the seafood business, Scramuzza owned his own record label, "Scram Records," featuring artists such as Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Pony Express, Eddie Bo, and blues singer Johnny "Little Sonny" Jones.
In 1993, Scramuzza retired and Seafood City closed, becoming an "Ain't Dere No More" legend of a time gone by.
Scramuzza then devoted his life to coaching and mentoring children at Johnny Bright Playground in Metairie. In September 2025, on his 97th birthday, Jefferson Parish honored Scramuzza by renaming the street along Johnny Bright Playground "Al Scramuzza Way."
Scramuzza is survived by two daughters, Toni Scramuzza and Saralyn Scramuzza Warren, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.