Lucchese Boot Company

Sam Lucchese and his brothers, who emigrated from Sicily to the United States in 1883, founded the Lucchese Boot and Shoe Factory in San Antonio shortly after settling there. After his stroke in 1923, Sam’s son Cosimo took over the business, and in turn Cosimo’s son, Samuel James Lucchese, took over after Cosimo’s death in 1961.

The Lucchese Boot Company was well known for the beauty and quality of its boots, and Samuel James Lucchese designed boots for many famous people, including John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lady Bird and Lyndon B. Johnson, and Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller. In 1970, Lucchese sold the Boot Company to Blue Bell, Incorporated, of Greensboro, North Carolina, the parent company of Wrangler, for whom Lucchese had been doing consulting work.

Sources : Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Lucchese, Sam, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/fluan.html (accessed June 22, 2010).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Lucchese, Samuel James, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/flutp.html (accessed June 22, 2010).

Sam Lucchese and his brothers, who emigrated from Sicily to the United States in 1883, founded the Lucchese Boot and Shoe Factory in San Antonio shortly after settling there.

After his stroke in 1923, Sam's son Cosimo took over the business, and in turn Cosimo's son, Samuel James Lucchese, took over after Cosimo's death in 1961.

The Lucchese Boot Company was well known for the beauty and quality of its boots, and Samuel James Lucchese designed boots for many famous people, including John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lady Bird and Lyndon B. Johnson, and Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller.

In 1970, Lucchese sold the Boot Company to Blue Bell, Incorporated, of Greensboro, North Carolina, the parent company of Wrangler, for whom Lucchese had been doing consulting work.