Sam Lucchese

Sam Lucchese (1868–1929) was an Italian-born American businessman and impresario. He was the founder of the Lucchese Boot Company and the owner of Spanish-language theaters in San Antonio and Laredo, Texas.

Sam Lucchese
BornFebruary 24, 1868
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
DiedJanuary 15, 1929
San Antonio, Texas, US
Resting placeSaint Mary's Cemetery
OccupationBusinessman, impresario
Spouse(s)Frances Battaglia
Children3 sons, 2 daughters, including Josephine Lucchese

Early life

Sam Lucchese was born on February 24, 1868, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.[1] He immigrated to the United States in 1883 with his parents and siblings, settling in San Antonio, Texas.[1][2]

Career

Lucchese was a businessman. In 1883, he co-founded the Lucchese Boot Company with his brother in San Antonio.[1][2]

With the revenue from his boot company, Lucchese opened Spanish-speaking theaters in San Antonio and Laredo.[3] In 1912, he acquired the Teatro Zaragoza on the corner of Commerce Street and Santa Rosa Street in San Antonio.[1][3] Five years later, in 1917, he acquired the Teatro Nacional, located at the same intersection in San Antonio.[1][3] An impresario, he hired actors from Mexico to perform in his theaters.[1]

Personal life

He married Frances Battaglia.[1] They had three sons and two daughters, including, Josephine Lucchese, who became a renowned opera vocalist.[1]

Death and legacy

He died of a stroke on January 15, 1929 in San Antonio, Texas.[1] He was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery. After his death, his son Cosimo took over the Lucchese Boot Company.[1][2] His grandson, Samuel James Lucchese, succeeded him, and designed boots for many actors.[2]

References
  1. Elizabeth C. Ramírez, "LUCCHESE, SAM," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fluan), accessed July 16, 2015. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  2. A Guide to the Lucchese Boot Company Records, 1910-1968, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
  3. Haney, Peter C. (December 2003). "Bilingual Humor, Verbal Hygiene, and the Gendered Contradictions of Cultural Citizenship in Early Mexican American Comedy". Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. 13 (2): 168. doi:10.1525/jlin.2003.13.2.163. hdl:1808/9943. JSTOR 43102607.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.