Robert Giardinelli (January 23, 1914 in Catania, Italy – October 1, 1996 in New York City, New York[1]) was a renowned musical instrument craftsman who operated a repair shop in New York City. After immigrating to the United States, Giardinelli served in the United States Army during World War II. In 1946, he opened his music shop in the Bronx, later moving to midtown Manhattan, where he operated for over 40 years until his retirement. His business encompassed mouthpiece manufacturing, a discount music store, and a custom repair shop for brass and wind instruments.[2] Giardinelli's shop at 151 West 46th Street became a famous destination for musicians in the 1980s.[3]
He completed his biography just three days before his death in 1996. Today, Jon Baltimore Music occupies the same location offering similar services[4] and is the last remaining musical repair shop open to the public in the Times Square area since Sam Ash's departure in 2012.
References
edit- ^ Smith, André M. (December 1996). "Robert Giardinelli (1914-1996): Four Decades of Excellence in New York". ITG Journal. 21 (2): 12–34.
- ^ "Story of Robert Giardinelli :: Academy of Accounting Historians". clio.lib.olemiss.edu.
- ^ "Stork Custom Mouthpieces". storkcustom.com. Archived from the original on 2004-12-10.
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/johnbaltimoremusic [user-generated source]