Our story

Giuseppe Sannino, known to everyone as Peppino, left Sarno at just over sixteen, in the first years of the twentieth century. In New York he found work at the harbour. First he unloaded cargo, then he kept the warehouse books and slept in a room at the back of the sheds, with Andrea, the watchman.

At night Andrea earned a little extra making shoes and repairing watches. Peppino watched him work, then began to work with him. After little more than a year Andrea went back to Italy and gave him all his tools. He also left him a piece of advice, which Peppino followed strictly. What makes the difference is not only the goods, but care over the details and the finishing.

In 1908 Peppino opened a shop in Brooklyn, with a back room to sleep in. At first he repaired shoes, often without asking to be paid. Then he sold new ones. He painted the shop grey and blue, and bought a large glass-fronted cabinet from a second-hand dealer, which he restored to display his work.

Then came watches, the trade he loved most. In the shop the cuckoo clocks struck the hours. In 1913, in Brooklyn, his son Italo was born.

A few years later the family moved to Los Angeles. Peppino worked in a bar near Hollywood, but he did not give up watches. He repaired them, collected them, bought them and sold them on. He also began to deal in antique jewellery, diamonds and precious stones.

In the 1920s the family returned to Campania. For many years Peppino and Italo did other work.

In the mid-1950s they decided to open a shop again, where a cuckoo clock would strike the hours once more. They found one in Pompeii, for watches and gold. In 1955 the jewellery shop opened. A few years later it moved to Via Roma, where it still is today.

After them, the counter passed to Franco.