The story begins in Casalvieri,
Frosinone, Italy in the “contrada” of Roselli, a
beautiful town full of childhood memories for Maria Pia Iolanda
Giancarlo and Ulderico Loreto Vennettilli. Ulderico was born
in 1936. He was the fourth of six children in his family.
Maria Pia was the youngest of the five girls in Giancarlo family.
In 1953, Ulderico Vennettilli’s sister, Natalina Carlesimo,
who was living in Windsor with her husband, Agostino, completed
an “atto
di richiamo” (summons for immigrating) for her brother,
Ulderico. Ulderico borrowed money from his uncle and left Naples,
Italy in 1954 on board the ship named “Homeline”.
He arrived at Pier 21, in Halifax (like many other immigrants)
with no money in his pocket and a heart full of aspiration.
Ulderico
knew well that he had to repay his uncle back in Detroit.
Upon his arrival, the Government of Canada gave him $10.00 as
a goodwill gesture. The trip to Windsor was a long one, and he
used some of that money to buy “Sponge bread”,
which he had not eaten since he had left home and “it did
not taste like mom’s”. He traveled for two days and
three nights on a train, until he reached Grand Trunk Station in
Windsor,
Ontario and was greeted by his sister and family with open
arms.
Ulderico’s first job in Canada was at the city market.
At the same time, he was attending school in Detroit, Michigan
to
be a TV repairman. Ulderico finished his education in 1961.
Later, he went back to Italy and married a beautiful woman from
his home town by the name Maria Pia Giancarlo. Maria
and Ulderico returned to Canada together. The couple opened their
first store in 1963, on Erie Street East and Goyeau, and named
it "Guaranteed “A” Radio, TV Sales and Service."
Their family grew, as did the business. They had three
children: Riccardo, Antonio and Donato. The children learned
quickly that
it took hard work and dedication for their family business to
thrive. The boys helped their parents in the business, working
after school and in between classes. In 1967,
the Vennettilli family purchased their first store, on the corner
of Hall and Tecumseh Rd, and conducted business by selling televisions
and appliances, as well as repairing electronics.
In 1975, the family business moved to Tecumseh and Norman Road,
which later was followed by an addition in 1981. In 1996, Guaranteed “A” moved
to its current location at 4735 Tecumseh Road East. It
is now known as Guaranteed “A” Fine Furniture. The
store was remodeled and expanded in 2000, with the latest products
and ideas in the home furnishing industry. Today the third generation
of the Vennettilli family is involved in the family business.
The children of Richard and Jessica Vennettilli, Christopher,
Marisa, and Alexa, and the children of Tony and Anna Vennettilli,
Alyssa and Nicholas are following in their parents' footsteps.
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