Generoso Antonio Pompilio Carlo Papa arrived in New York City in May 1906 as a steerage passenger on the S/S Madonna, carrying water for construction crews for three dollars per week. He eventually transitioned from a manual laborer into a business magnate who controlled the largest sand and gravel company in the world, Colonial Sand and Stone.
Media and Commercial Expansion
After establishing Pope Foods in 1912 to import Italian goods, he expanded his interests into publishing. In 1928, he acquired the Italian-language daily Il Progresso Italo-Americano for 2,050,000 dollars. Under his management, the paper reached a circulation of 200,000 in New York City. He subsequently purchased Il Bollettino della Sera, Il Corriere d'America, and the Philadelphia daily L'Opinione, along with radio station WHOM, securing a dominant position in communication for the Italian-American community.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Political Influence
A conservative Democrat, he utilized his media assets to cultivate political power. He acted as the chairman of the Italian Division of the Democratic National Committee in 1936. His efforts helped secure the Italian vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1934, his political influence contributed to the establishment of Columbus Day as a national holiday. He also founded the annual Columbus Day Parade in New York City. While he initially supported Mussolini, he shifted his position in 1941 to support the American war effort and later led anti-Communist campaigns during the 1948 Italian elections.
Personal Life and Final Years
He married Catherine Richichi, and the couple had three sons: Fortunato, Anthony, and Generoso Jr. His children later managed various aspects of the family's corporate legacy. Following his death from a heart ailment in 1950 at the age of 59, he was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. His residence at 1040 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan later served as the home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Fast facts
- Born: 1891, Arpaise
- Died: April 28, 1950, New York City
- Citizenship: United States, Italy
- Primary Occupations: Entrepreneur, Politician
- Notable Business: Colonial Sand and Stone
- Burial Site: Woodlawn Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What happened to the newspapers after his death?
His son, Generoso Pope Jr., took a different path in media by purchasing what became the National Enquirer in 1952.
Where is his legacy memorialized?
The Generoso Pope Foundation is based in Tuckahoe, New York, and facilities such as Pope Hall at Saint Peter's College and the St. Francis College athletics complex are named in his honor.
.jpg)