L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano submerged himself in the culture and rented an apart- ment for a month to begin his new life. This move fol- lowed years of experience in the field, including design w o r k , h o m e s t a g i n g , a n d managing an antique mall space, ultimately proving that his affinity for the "old c o u n t r y " w a s a d e s t i n e d career path. Florence is at the heart of Tony's work and interest. A day in Florence can bring lots of ideas, so we asked how he goes about his days when visiting the capital of I t a l i a n a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d d e s i g n : " I u s u a l l y g e t u p early, get my breakfast and m y e s p r e s s o . I f t h e r e ' s a market to go to, I start visit- i n g d i f f e r e n t d e a l e r s a n d v e n d o r s ; I a l w a y s h a v e a bicycle, so I can be on one side of the town and 30 min- utes later I might be literally on the other side entirely, looking at something else. I do like my two-hour lunch, then back to work and, by 8 o ' c l o c k , w h e n s t o r e s a r e closed, I start kind of ramp- ing up and going to get din- ner. There are also lots of M i l a n a n d V e n i c e , " h e shared. While his love for Flo- r e n c e i s u n d e n i a b l e , h i s connection to Italy is rooted i n f a m i l y : h i s f a t h e r w a s Sicilian, and he grew up in a traditional Italian home. His g r a n d p a r e n t s w e r e f r o m Sicily and Bari, forging a d e e p a f f i n i t y f o r I t a l i a n antiquities. His mother, a German designer, was a piv- otal figure who introduced him to the industry, trans- l a t i n g h i s h e r i t a g e i n t o a career passion. "We started going over to Italy in early 2000, looking around; then, we just decided it was the perfect thing to stay in the genre, because most people, when I opened, were selling F r e n c h a n d E n g l i s h antiques, and I really want- ed to focus on bringing Ital- ian style to the market." The transformation into becoming a full-time antique dealer was a conscious, per- s o n a l c h o i c e m a d e i n t h e year 2000, and it was a com- mitment born of an undeni- able attraction to Florence; undeterred by the challenge of language barriers, Tony trips that bring me to differ- ent cities, so I may start in Florence, then the next day I might be in Arezzo, then in Veneto or Milan. It's wher- e v e r p e o p l e h a v e t h i n g s ready for me." Based on his experience, T o n y k n o w s p e o p l e d o n ' t just "like" Italian antiques, they love them. The key dif- ference, when compared to French or English styles, is the inherent strength and tangible quality of the Italian work: "With Italian pieces, you can truly see the hand of the craftsman, the visible effort and artistry woven into the wood," he told us; "This isn't sweet or diminutive furniture; it pos- sesses a robust, powerful soul. Italian design has a rhythm and a gravity that makes it a piece you can live w i t h , a s t r o n g , b e a u t i f u l anchor for a home that will last a lifetime." Tony's long history with the San Francisco Fall Show began with a personal invi- tation from Suzanne Tucker, an honor he was privileged to accept for the initial show. "This is my eighth or ninth year. It's been a wonderful run," he stated, underscor- ing the consistent success and prestige of the event. W i t h t h r e e t r u c k l o a d s o f inventory brought for the s h o w , s e l e c t i n g f a v o r i t e s proved challenging, but two pieces stood out: "The table that's coming in is a true R e n a i s s a n c e p i e c e , " h e e x p l a i n e d . " T h e t o p i s Africana marble, which is completely extinct. It's very beautiful, and it's original to the table base. That's one of my favorite pieces." A sec- ond highlight is a stunning Roman marble, a first-cen- tury statue of Diana. Reflect- ing on the show's consistent p e r f o r m a n c e , T o n y expressed high expectations: "We've always done, literally every year, almost the same amount in sales. It's a well- attended, well-run show." A d e d i c a t e d t r a d i t i o n a l i s t , Tony chose to wear a Cesare Attolini suit from Naples for the occasion, representing t h e d e p t h o f I t a l i a n c r a f t from the showroom floor to their own personal style. cal seating; antique chande- liers and other lighting; and fine art, including modern and contemporary pieces from icons like Frank Stella and Jasper Johns, which are o f t e n p a i r e d w i t h t h e antiques, alongside architec- tural elements and one-of-a- kind home accessories. We met Tony as he was in the middle of setting up for the Fall Show; he founded the company over 25 years a g o , a n d h e i s a l s o t h e store's curator. His journey b e g a n w i t h a p a s s i o n f o r European design and travel, and it was, indeed, in the O l d C o n t i n e n t – m o r e specifically in the historic streets of Florence – that it all began. "I was in Italy all last week buying more stuff f o r t h i s s h o w … T h a t w a s k i n d o f t h e i d e a w h e n I opened the store, each piece had to be fresh to the mar- ket and many things were brought over from Italy. I've been importing 40-foot con- tainers for all these years; It's getting more difficult as the years go along, but we still source everything from S i c i l y a l l t h e w a y u p t o T h e S a n F r a n - c i s c o F a l l Show is a West C o a s t i n s t i t u - tion: founded in 1982, it has grown into the region's leading exhibition for art, antiques, and design, and the oldest continu- ously operating interna- tional antiques show on t h e W e s t C o a s t . E a c h October, it returns to the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, filling the waterfront pavilion with a mix of history, craftsman- ship, and style that attracts collectors, designers, and m u s e u m c u r a t o r s f r o m across the world. The 2025 edition, held f r o m O c t o b e r 1 6 t o 1 9 , took inspiration from the theme Paradise Found. The idea transformed Fort M a s o n i n t o a n i m a g i n e d oasis, a place of discovery, color, and light, and invited e x h i b i t o r s t o e x p l o r e t h e i d e a o f b e a u t y a s e s c a p e . More than 40 internation- al dealers filled the pavil- i o n , o f f e r i n g w o r k s t h a t spanned centuries and con- tinents: from Old Master paintings and 18th-century furniture to modern ceram- ics, silver, and mid-century design. This year, L'Italo A m e r i c a n o s p o k e w i t h Tony Buccola, owner of A n t o n i o ' s B e l l a C a s a . This store in Los Angeles is a premier destination for inte- rior designers, collectors, and homeowners seeking authentic Old World charm and luxury home furnish- ings. K n o w n a s m u c h m o r e than a showroom, Antonio's Bella Casa is a curated expe- rience dedicated to design with depth: the expansive, 4 , 2 0 0 - s q u a r e - f o o t L o s Angeles location is constant- ly refreshed with new inven- tory, as several packed con- tainers arrive throughout the year. Tony's offerings span centuries of craftsman- s h i p , i n c l u d i n g 1 8 t h a n d 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y I t a l i a n a n d French furniture like casse- toni, commodes, neoclassi- Max Papeschi and Arianna Bonucci presenting Eau de Eau at the IIC San Francisco (Photo: Enrica Cavalli) A n t o n i o ' s B e l l a C a s a : b r i n g i n g I t a l i a n antiques to California SERENA PERFETTO SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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