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.
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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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.
- ^ a b c d A Guide to the Lucchese Boot Company Records, 1910-1968, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
- ^ a b c 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.
External links