Al Scramuzza: The Crawfish King Who Boiled His Way into New Orleans History
By The Bayou Insider Staff
Al Scramuzza, the legendary New Orleans entrepreneur known affectionately as the “Crawfish King,” passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at the age of 97. With his passing, Louisiana says goodbye to not only a seafood pioneer but a cultural icon whose creativity, resilience, and deep love for his city left a legacy as rich as a pot of spicy crawfish boil.
From Orphanage to Opportunity
Born on September 19, 1927, in the French Quarter, Al’s early life was far from easy. The Great Depression hit his family hard. After his father abandoned the family, his mother, unable to care for all her children, placed several—including Al—into orphanages. One of them was Hope Haven in Marrero, where he learned to love sports, a passion that would remain a cornerstone of his life.
Despite the hardship, Scramuzza’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged early. By 1951, he was selling crawfish from a Mid-City produce stand for just 15 cents a pound. At the time, crawfish was considered a food for the poor—little more than a muddy nuisance to many locals. But Al saw something else: opportunity.
The Rise of Seafood City
In 1960, Scramuzza opened Seafood City at 1826 North Broad Street. What began as a modest seafood market quickly expanded to an entire city block. By the 1970s and 80s, the business was selling more than 20,000 pounds of crawfish in a single day. He pioneered the retail sale of live and boiled crawfish to everyday New Orleanians—bringing the bayou to the block.
More than a businessman, Al was a showman. He became a local TV fixture with his wildly creative, low-budget commercials featuring zany characters and his now-legendary jingle:
“Seafood City, very pretty! You’ll never be a looza, if you come see Al Scramuzza!”
These ads, sometimes strange and often hilarious, made him a household name and set the standard for local marketing in New Orleans.
A Soundtrack of His Own
Not content to dominate only one corner of the culture, Scramuzza also launched Scram Records in the early 1960s, eventually expanding to two more labels. He helped promote rising New Orleans music legends like Eddie Bo, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, and Johnny “Little Sonny” Jones. Eddie Bo’s 1969 hit “Hook and Sling” became a national success—proving Al had an ear for talent as sharp as his nose for business.
His seafood market and record label often overlapped—artists promoted their music out of Seafood City, turning the store into a cultural hub where funk, blues, and the smell of boiling crawfish filled the air.
A Life Beyond the Spotlight
When Seafood City closed its doors in 1993, Al didn’t slow down. He turned his attention to the children of his community. For decades, he coached football, basketball, baseball, and soccer at Johnny Bright Playground in Metairie, mentoring thousands of kids.
His dedication to youth sports earned him widespread admiration. On his 97th birthday in September 2024, Jefferson Parish honored him by renaming the street outside the playground “Al Scramuzza Way.”
A King Remembered
Al Scramuzza’s legacy is inseparable from the city he loved. He helped transform crawfish into a Louisiana culinary mainstay, turned low-budget commercials into cultural gold, and poured himself into the next generation through sports and mentorship.
He is survived by two daughters, Toni Scramuzza and Saralyn Scramuzza Warren, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
As we remember his contributions to food, music, and community, we honor a man who didn’t just feed the city—he flavored it.
Sources:
Want more stories that celebrate Louisiana legends?
Subscribe to The Bayou Insider and stay connected to the people, food, and culture that make our state unlike anywhere else.
Rising Star from New Orleans: Kaitlin Guerin Named James Beard Emerging Chef Finalist
(Photo by Biz New Orleans)