AUBURN - Dick Gagliardi thought he was just bringing his grandsons into Paul Saltarello's barber shop for haircuts. But the two men began discussing Gagliardi's beloved Purple Lancers drum and bugle corps, and an idea was born. Gagliardi was looking for help raising money to purchase $24,000 in uniforms for the Lancers, a legendary Auburn institution that had recently been brought back after 34 years. He decided to ask Saltarello for help with a fundraising dinner.

“Without any hesitation, he said he'd be more than happy to put it together,” Gagliardi said.

When there's a meal to be cooked for a good cause, people know to call Saltarello and Tony Lupo, the chefs behind the “Italian Cucina Crew.” The two cooks and about 17 assistants will turn out in force to bake, boil, fry, stir, peel, slice and serve a generous meal, all for charity.

The crew recently did a dinner to benefit Hospice of the Finger Lakes, and they've also worked for Tyburn Academy and St. Francis Church. The crew has even gone international, raising money for charities in Saltarello's native Italy. Meals served in Auburn raised money for a van to transport handicapped people in his hometown of Biccari in Italy's Puglia region.

“We don't say no to nothing,” said Lupo, 66, a retired set-up man for New Process Gear.

The meal that Gagliardi and Saltarello talked about in the barbershop was held Saturday night at Sacred Heart Church. Gagliardi was hoping to raise as much as $3,000 for uniforms.

Lupo and Saltarello made 400 meatballs, cooked 60 lbs. of macaroni and made 18 gallons of sauce. They served 200 pieces of sausage from a shop in Cortland, plus garlic bread and countless heads of romaine lettuce.

“We really enjoy it,” Lupo said. “We have a lot of fun in the kitchen.”

Lupo dabbled in cooking throughout his marriage, but began in earnest after he retired and his wife got sick. Saltarello, 60, developed his skills under the tutelage of “old timers at the Sons of Italy lodge.” Neither cook would reveal the secret ingredient in the sauce.

The crew does about six benefits a year. For a Saturday night dinner, Saltarello and Lupo will start cooking the meatballs and sauce on Wednesday. All told, they spend about 12 hours to serve hundreds at each event. Part of their efficiency certainly can be attributed to the fact that they have been friends for 30 years.

The two men say they cannot claim credit alone for their success. The volunteers are part of the deal.

“All we have to do is tell them we need them,” Lupo said. “They're excellent.”

Dick Paulino, former Republican elections commissioner and a retired financial consultant, happily volunteers for the crew.

“We're all good friends,” Paulino said. “It's a lot of fun. It's almost like a huge family reunion. I don't think anyone looks at it as work.”

Saltarello and Lupo speak modestly about their efforts, but they clearly love what they do. “It just comes out of my heart,” Saltarello said. “We're always willing to help, always.”