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Born in Carve, Rome, Italy
The son of Francesco and Nazzarena Ronci. Fernando had 9 siblings and they all helped work the farm in Italy, growing fruits and vegetables, and raising animals. -
Came to America
Fernando, his parents, and 6 of his siblings sailed on "Re D Italia" to America. 2 of his siblings were left in Italy to work on the farm. The boat traveled to America with 2,010 people. 119 passengers were in first class, and the rest were in the steerage with Fernando's family. The trip took 2 weeks, and passengers got 1 hour outside per day. The Roncis arrived and lived in Rhode Island. -
Quit Elementary School
Fernando was 12 years old and couldn't speak English, so he started to do odd jobs, such as painting houses and digging cellars with his bare hands. -
Starts his own family
Fernando got married in his twenties and had 9 kids; my grandmother, Fernanda, is the youngest. -
Work In Factory
Fernando got a job working for a shoe buckle company. The owner wasn't good with handling the money and he lost the business. -
Started F. Ronci Company
The owner auctioned off the factory materials and Fernando bought the dies and machinery. No one else had these so Fernando had the monopoly. This was the biggest turning point of his career. Using the dies and machinery, Fernando started his own shoe buckle business in the basement of his house with the help of his wife. -
Bought Factory Building
The F. Ronci business was truly established when Fernando bought the factory at 45 River Avenue, Providence RI. One of Fernando's biggest successes was being able to open up so many job opportunities for others. He had over 550 factory workers, and his business spread through America, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Surprisingly, the Ronci business thrived through the Great Depression. Fernando's son managed the business in Mexico. Unfortunately, when Castro took over Cuba, business there ended.
