History - DiMauro

Di Mauro-Guitars as already mentioned earlier, besides the more famous brands of Selmer, Busato or Favino-guitars belong to the worldwide most famous Gypsyjazz-Guitars - for good reason.

Joseph Di Mauro (1894-1966), the brother of Antoine Di Mauro (image right), was born in Catania (Sicilia) in 1884.

He learned the craftsmanship of building guitars and made guitars as well as mandolins. In 1925 he immigrated from Siciilia to Paris (as many other luthiers did in that time, for example Jacques Favino, Barnabe Busato, Castellucia, and many more). Joseph DiMauro at first worked for another italian guitarmaker named GALLESI, inside his workshop in the Rue de Guénot (whose workshop has been founded in 1898 already).

Antoine Di Mauro (1900-1976), the brother of Joseph DiMauro (the elder, 1894-1966), already built instruments in Catania (Sicilia) like Mandolins, Guitars and and other stringed instruments. He came to Paris a little later on, around 1934.

Antoine founded his own shop and workshop in the backyard of a furniture store at the Rue de Fontarabie. In this place he stayed for two years building guitars and mandolins. In 1936 he moves into the Rue Rançon in Paris.

Slowly his family also came to Paris bit by bit and finally himself and his wife as his three sons Francois (the eldest), Nicolas and Joseph (the younger) are all living together in Paris.

Francois is starting to work in his father´s workshop as well after finishing school.

In 1942 the workshop moves into the Rue Réunion 50 and is modernized and enlarged, as well as the name of the store has been changed into "Lutherie Moderne".

Just a couple of years later, around 1950, again the shop is enlarged and Joseph DiMauro additionally takes over some more rooms at housenumber 47. The workshop in number Nr. 50 is just beeing used as a storage room for wood.

Joseph Di Mauro (the younger, 1932-2001) is the youngest son of Antoine Di Mauro. He starts to work from 1947 at the age of 15 in the family-company together with his father and the two brothers.

After the death of his father in 1976 he takes over the workshop completely alone. His brothers decided to go on own paths meanwhile. As his son Nicolas (1928-1999) the two brothers are working in the field of Catering, his second brother (born 1925), workes with his own company Importing/Exporting instruments and  Accsessoires in Montreuil since 1972. He is as well retired meanwhile.

Joseph DiMauro later on works under the name "DiMauro - Luthier" on his own and keeps building  instruments for another 18 years, mainly guitars and mandolins.

In June 1993 he stoppes his work earlier than expected. There are plans for the house which his workshops is residing in to beeing trashed. But at the age of 67 Joseph Di Mauro doesnt want to start all over again and closes his workshop and company. So he retires and after only 2 years dies early at the age of 69 in Paris (Source: www.di-mauro.fr)

Here are some pictures of the workshop in the Rue Réunion 50 in Paris.