User:Rogerthat/Franco Cozzo

Franco Cozzo (born 1936 in Sicily) Italy) is an Italian-Australian businessman. Arriving in Australia with his young family during the immigration period of the 1950s, Cozzo set himself up with a furniture business, with only the clothes on his back and little else. Since then he has become a great success story for "new Australians" everywhere. His background actually consists of an Italian father and a Greek mother, contrary to the popular belief that he is 100% ethnic Italian.

Cozzo is best known for the establishment of "Franco Cozzo" furniture in the city of Melbourne, Australia. His furniture chain started over 40 years ago, with Cozzo, despite his old age, continuing to appear on advertisements, speaking in Italian, Greek and English. He proudly spruiks of his stores in Brunswick and Footscray, which have made Cozzo one of Melbourne's favourite adopted sons. "Comprate da Franco Cozzo" and "Megalo megalo megalo" are some of the taglines of his business that has made him legendary. He is fondly remembered for the phrase "a brunswick and'a footiscray", adding an extra syllable, and the 60 second TV commercial has recently surfaced from a private collector. Another version was produced not long afterwards with a new tagline, thus "inna norta melban and'a footiscray".

This subject may not, in 2007, be considered notable but I suspect that in future years children and perhaps grandchildren of those who remember Franco Cozzo might be puzzled by the deliberate mispronunciation of 'Footiscray'. Franco Cozzo endeared himself to many a Footscray inhabitant (myself included) with his obvious love of the suburb.

Many non-Mediterranean born Australians also enjoyed Franco's many many Italian - and Greek - expressions, with some people even asking their Italian and Greek friends to teach some of these expressions. Let us try to re-construct the text of one of his advertisements: Franco Cozzo, per la prima volta in Australia, dchiara guerra - guerra ai prezzi

Famous Commercial

Here is the text for Franco Cozzo's famous TV commercial

Grand sale, grand sale, grand sale Where? In Brunswick and a Foot(a)scray. Franco Cozzo ave(a) da pleasure to-a presenta to you "Il Modernissimo" Bedroom Suites, dining room and wonderful lounge Why don't you come for yourself and 'ave a looka this magnifico Il Modernissimo Only can found from Franco Cozzo Buy from Franco Cozzo Megalo!, megalo!, megalo! xepoulima ston Franco Cozzo Trapezaria, krevatokamares, salonia, karekles, apo ton Franco Cozzo. Elate na agorasete apo ton Franco Cozzo. In Brunswick and(a) Foot(a)scray nagorasita Franco Cozzo. Franco Cozzo per la prima volte in Australia dichiara guerra, guerra ai prezzi, Grande Svendita! Dove? a Brunswick and a Footscray. Se i migliori mobili volete comprare, oggi, domani, sempre, da Franco Cozzo dovete andare. Dove? a Brunswick and a Footscray. Comprate da Franco Cozzo.

(Apologies. I'm not a native speaker. So some of this I have spelt phonetically)

In March 2015 Franco Cozza launched a new promo. The first in almost 20 years.

References

• Franco Cozzo ad on YouTube