The son of Vincenzo and Rosa (Sileo) LaGuardia, Michele “Michael” LaGuardia was born in Potenza, Italy in 1873. At the age of 15 (1888) he came to America. Surely following others from Potenza, Michael settled in Denver where in 1891 he found work as a laborer. A year later he opened a shoe shop; likely in his home at 638 Bell Street (now Osage Street).
Shoemakers have been designing, making, repairing, and cleaning shoes for hundreds of years. Until the 19th century, shoemaking was a common occupation. Many Italian immigrants brought shoe making and repairing skills with them from Italy. By the end of the of 20thcentury, the process of making shoes had been almost completely mechanized, with production occurring primarily in large factories. Men like Michael LaGuardia remained in business because they offered their communities variety and customization based on age, gender and occupation. Their shops were also safe-havens, where customers freely spoke their native language, trusted shop owners in business transactions and, even used credit on occasion.
On October 14, 1901, Michael LaGuardia became a naturalized American citizen. The following year he married Lucia “Lucy” Sanza. Michael was 27 and Lucy 18. In 1904, their daughter Anna was born followed by: Rose, Theresa, Julia, George, Fred, Vincent, Leonard, Lucille and Lorraine. For many years the LaGuardia family lived at 3518 Navajo Street (formerly Palmer), across the Street from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Denver. Michael continued to work repairing shoes and sometimes worked as a janitor. Lucy LaGuardia died in Denver in 1940. Michele LaGuardia died in Denver in 1954.
Photo captions:
- Anna, Rose, Theresa, Julia, George, & Fred LaGuardia, Denver, 1917. Courtesy Carla Dire Capstick
- Lorraine and Lucille LaGuardia, Denver, 1929. Courtesy Carla Dire Capstick
- Michele LaGuardia, Palmer Street Shoe Shop, Denver, 1918. Courtesy Carla Dire Capstick
- Rose, Michele, Anna, Lucia LaGuardia, 1906. Courtesy Carla Dire Capstick
Reader note: This article originally appeared in Andiamo! in January of 2019. All rights reserved.
