Staff photograph, La Gioconda Shoe Mfg. Co., Montreal, QC, July 1935 - en anglais seulement

Black and white panoramic photograph of the staff of La Gioconda Manufacturing Co. in Montreal, QC in July 1935. Owner, Alfredo Domenico Sebastiani, can be seen seated right of centre wearing a black suit.

Sebastiani was a proud Italian. He served in northern Italy during World War I. He later became a successful salesman with Singer Sewing in Pescara, Italy, but decided to seek greater fortune in Canada. He was a shoe factory worker when he first arrived in Montreal. He later established several profitable shoe factories, including La Gioconda Shoe Manufacturing Co., which made a jewel-encrusted pair of shoes for the Queen in the 1930s. By 1940, Alfredo D. Sebastiani was a very wealthy man. On June 10, 1940, Sebastiani was arrested and ordered detained for interrogation. He was confined to house arrest, possibly due to his poor health. From family accounts, he had a serious heart condition and required a wheelchair for mobility. According to government documents, the order against Sebastiani was cancelled on July 12, 1941.