Italian Entrepreneurs
Updated: Oct 16
Italian entrepreneurs helped shape Calgary through hard work, craftsmanship, music, food, and community leadership.
Roma Grocery
Domenico Gasbarri arrived in Calgary around 1903. He opened his grocery store in 1917 at 207 4 Street NE. Domenico, his wife Antonia, and their daughter Flavia lived upstairs. The building is still standing today.
Behind the store, Domenico operated a shoe shop where he repaired and made shoes. He often allowed customers to run a tab until they could pay. The store remained in operation until Domenico died in 1938.
Source: Calgary Italian Cultural Centre Oral History Project interview with Flavia Santucci 1985
Cosmopolitan Store
Joseph Gallelli farmed near Crossfield, Alberta, where he grew vegetables and produced cheese. While spending part of his time in Calgary visiting his brother Nick, Joseph constructed the building at 212 4 Street NE and opened the Cosmopolitan Store
The business specialized in Italian meats, cheeses, and produce supplied directly from his farm. Operating approximately from 1911 to 1919, the store was later sold to the Palazzo Brothers. The building, known today as the Gallelli Block, still stands.
Sources: Personal recollections of the Gallelli family, Lorne Prokopy, and Linda Payne
Pompilio Music Studio (1924–1946)
Italian Musical Instruction & Community Youth Band
The Pompilio Music Studio was established in Calgary in 1924 by Professor Joseph John Pompilio, a classically trained Italian musician educated at the Milan Conservatory. After professional work in Naples, New York, and Chicago, and nearly two decades in Winnipeg, Pompilio brought European musical traditions to Calgary’s growing Italian community.
His studio was first advertised in the Calgary Herald on July 26, 1924, offering instruction from an Italian professor of oboe, clarinet, saxophone, mandolin, and guitar in the Spanish style. He soon began advertising for students and selling musical instruments, quickly becoming a central figure in Calgary’s early educational music scene.
Many young Italian boys enrolled in lessons, forming a vibrant community of students. Under Pompilio’s guidance, these students organized into the Italian Boys Band, a youth ensemble that became well known throughout the city. They performed at festivals, Italian picnics, Stampede parades, banquets, and concerts, often playing compositions written by Professor Pompilio himself.
Notable students included Orlando Bombardieri, Mario Grassi, Thomas and Sam Taverna, Guarino Serani, Anthony Aiello, Ronaldo Rebaudego, and Louis Violini, among others. Several continued playing music throughout their lives, reflecting the lasting influence of Pompilio’s teaching.
Through his studio, mentorship of young musicians, and performances with the Calgary Symphony Orchestra, Pompilio helped lay the foundations for Calgary’s early classical and community music culture. Pompilio retired from active teaching in 1938, concluding more than a decade of musical instruction in the city. Even after retirement, his influence endured through his students, his compositions, and his contributions to Calgary’s developing musical identity.
Sources:
• Calgary Herald, July 26, 1924, p. 19 — Music lesson advertisement.
• Calgary Herald, November 20, 1946, p. 19 — Obituary notice.
• Calgary Herald, January 24, 1931, p. 9 (article- untitled)
• Photos courtesy of Calgary Italian Cultural Centre
Luca Carloni’s Shoe Repair Businesses (1928–1949)
Luca Carloni established himself as one of Calgary’s early Italian entrepreneurs through his shoe repair businesses, beginning with Canadian Shoe Shine in 1928 and later expanding with Empire Shoe Repair in 1938.
Canadian Shoe Shine was located at 112 8 Avenue SE, on the site of the Glenbow Museum. The shop became a place where Luca not only repaired shoes but also helped newly arrived Italian immigrants establish themselves by training them in the trade. Over the years, his nephews Ringo, Leo, and Benny apprenticed in the business. Mario Degusti and Ceslo Perusini were among the young men who later worked in the shop, with Ceslo eventually purchasing the business.
In 1938, Luca expanded his operations by opening Empire Shoe Repair with his nephew Leo Fabbi at 219 8 Avenue W. A second Empire Shoe Repair location was also established at 102 10 Street NW. Through these businesses, Luca continued to provide employment and training opportunities within the Italian community.
Beyond his work as a businessman, Luca was also a strong supporter of Calgary’s sporting community. For many years, Empire Shoe Repair sponsored local baseball, soccer, and hockey teams. One of the best-known was the Riverside Empires peewee hockey team, which won the city championship in 1938.
Both Empire Shoe Repair locations remained in operation until Luca shifted his focus to the hospitality industry, opening the L.C. Ballroom in 1950, later known as the Isle of Capri.
Source: Carloni family recollections.
Photo credits:
• Canadian Shoe Shine photograph courtesy of the Carloni family.
• Empire Shoe Repair photograph courtesy of Angela Manzara.
Dipalo Plumbing (1919-1954)
James Dipalo learned the plumbing trade while working for other companies. In 1919, he opened his own plumbing and heating business. It became a thriving business in the city for its time.
James supplied the plumbing and heating to the buildings purchased by Giovanni Caboto Loggia and later the Italo-Canadian Society.
Dipalo Plumbing was located on 1016 Boulevard NW till the late 1930’s, when James moved the business to his home at 229 3 Avenue E (where the Federal Building is today). His son John joined his father in the business and continued operating it after James died in 1948. John operated the business until late 1954, when he accepted a job offer in Abbotsford, BC.
Sources: Dipalo family recollections
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dipalo family collection
Alberta Coffee & Tea Company (1950–1973)
Alberta Coffee & Tea Company was founded in 1950 by Marino Cozzubbo, following nearly four decades of experience in the coffee and spice industry, including his years with Tuxedo Coffee and Spice Mill Ltd.
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of coffee beans from around the world, Marino created a distinctive signature blend that became the foundation of the company’s reputation. Alberta Coffee built its business by providing high-quality coffee and dependable service to local restaurants and businesses. The company’s success was built on Marino’s experience, integrity, and commitment to quality.
After Marino retired, his son-in-law Frank Coulson assumed responsibility for operations. In the 1970s, Alberta Coffee and Tea Company was sold to Dickson Coffee, with Frank remaining for several years to oversee the company’s southern Alberta operations.
Sources:
• Cozzubbo/Taverna family recollections
• Calgary Herald, February 25, 1950, p. 5, advertisement for grand opening
Italian Entrepreneurs - Research and compiled by: Theresa Taverna
Editorial Review: Reviewed and formatted by the Calgary Italian Historical Project for web publication.