Founding
Born in New York in 1905 John D'Angelico was apprenticed at the age of nine to his grand uncle Raphael Ciani, an expert violin and mandolin maker.
[9] This apprenticeship would become the basis for construction principles he later incorporated into his archtop guitars.
[10] After Ciani died D'Angelico took over the management of the business, but he didn't like having to supervise the 15 employees. As a result, he left and founded in 1932 D'Angelico Guitars at 40 Kenmare Street in Manhattan's Little Italy.
[1][11]
1933 arch-top guitar
While D'Angelico's craftsmanship was not always exemplary the performance of his guitars established him as the premier marker of archtop guitars.
[9] His reputation later brought offers from larger companies, but ultimately he decided to keep his operation under his own name.
[10][12] During the late 1930s, when production was at its peak, D'Angelico only had the assistance of two workers.
[13][9][12][10] Despite being handmade the company's guitars were no more expensive than similar mass-produced guitars produced by Epiphone and Gibson.
[13]
Among D'Angelico's employees were Vincent 'Jimmy' DiSerio, who worked for D'Angelico from 1932-1959, and
Jimmy D'Aquisto who joined the company as an apprentice in 1952.
[9]
D'Angelico had a heart attack in 1959 and also parted ways with DiSerio who left to work at the Favilla guitar company. As a result, he closed the business but soon reopened it after Jimmy D'Aquisto who was unable to find work, convinced him to do so.
[9] After several more heart attacks John D'Angelico died in 1964 at the age of 59.
[5] D'Aquisto, then bought the business from the D'Angelico family but a poor business decision lost him the right to the D'Angelico name.
[14][15]