History: 1947/1980
MARCH 1947: THE ORIGINS
CHARACTER, PASSION AND DETERMINATION. A BIG SPORTS COMPANY IS BORN.
Thus begins the Lion story, a story that starts with courage and passion.
In March 1947, after his many years of experience in the leather goods sector, Commendatore Orlando Leone decided to turn his passion for football and boxing into work by dedicating himself to the production of sporting articles for the practice of these two disciplines. The LEONE SPORT brand was born in the historic headquarters still in via Crema 11, in the heart of the famous Milanese district of Porta Romana, destined to become the absolute market leader in the years to come.
Up. The passion for boxing and his work will accompany the Comm.re. Orlando Leone (right) until 1968, the year of his tragic death.
Bottom and left. King Orlando Leone together with the footballer Antonio Angelillo and some of his precious collaborators examine the prototype of the new model of soccer ball just made.
THE SECOND GENERATION
THE "LEONE ORLANDO FACTORY SPORTS ITEMS" IS OFFICIAL.
These are years of great personal and professional satisfaction for Orlando. He married Assunta Savona, his son Claudio was born in 1953 and at the same time reached the pinnacle of success thanks to the definitive affirmation of the LEONE SPORT brand. Opens a second operating office in Trezzano Sul Naviglio and in 1968 officially founded L.O.F.A.S. Sprint srl (Leone Orlando Sporting Goods Factory). Due to a tragic fate, the Commissioner is unable to see his dream fully realized because in that same year he died prematurely due to a sudden illness, leaving the heir the task of carrying on the business.
Claudio, just of age and only son, takes over the reins of the company and immediately demonstrates that he has inherited from his father the passion for work and sport and from his mother the love for art and the taste for all that it's well designed.
The first years are certainly difficult but his determination combined with the experience gained by attending the company since he was a child allow him to quickly overcome the inevitable obstacles and continue successfully along the path traced by his father.
"PAROLA” : NOW SPEAKS THE BALL.
THE HISTORICAL SOCCER BALL IS BORN FROM THE COLLABORATION WITH THE PLAYER CARLO PAROLA.
Success came quickly thanks to the intuition of Orlando who, by combining his production experience with the technical knowledge of the Juventus professional footballer Carlo Parola, created the famous 18-section ball which, thanks to its revolutionary and innovative characteristics, immediately became the most used by the best Serie A teams, such as Milan, Inter, Juventus and Fiorentina. Champion of the caliber of Angelillo and Parola and subsequently of Antognoni, Tardelli and Scirea are among the prestigious testimonials of LEONE SPORT football products. Thus was born the LEONE "PAROLA" soccer ball, entirely handmade with the extraordinary craftsmanship typical of Made in Italy, together with the equally popular soccer shoes.
Up. The world champions of Spain 1982 Gaetano Scirea and Marco Tardelli try Leone Sport shoes in the historic headquarters in Via Crema in Milan.
Down. Milan won their fifth league title in the 1954-55 season. His balloon was "Word".
"To Claudio Leone my great friend and supporter" signed Gianni Rivera, historic Milan player and vice-world champion in 1970 with the Italian national team. Claudio himself with the world champion Giancarlo Antognoni, sponsored by Leone Sport.
Below, instead, the original dedication of Nils Liedholm, a popular AC Milan footballer and coach in the 1960s.
Leone football boots were highly appreciated for their unquestionable quality.
The world champion (Spain 1982) Giancarlo Antognoni, sponsored by Leone Sport.
Giovanni Trapattoni, one of the most representative technicians of Italian football after the Second World War, comments on the shoe produced by Leone.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PAGES OF ITALIAN BOXING
THERE IS NO ITALIAN BOXER OF THE AGE THAT DID NOT WEAR LEONE GLOVES.
Those were the golden years of Italian boxing, with the presence of numerous and acclaimed champions such as Duilio Loi, Nino Benvenuti, Sandro Mazzinghi, Carlo Orlandi and, in more recent times, Luigi Minchillo, Valerio Nati, Rocky Mattioli, Matteo Salvemini, Kamel Bou Ali, Patrizio Oliva, Loris and Maurizio Stecca
Up. A moment of the legendary challenge between two great champions: Sandro Mazzinghi (left) and Nino Benvenuti. The world super welterweight belt is up for grabs, won twice in the same year (1965) by Benvenuti.
Up. Francesco Damiani (left) wins the European EBU title in the heavyweight category by beating the Swedish Anders Eklund (Palaghiaccio - Aosta 1987).
Down. Patrizio Oliva defends the European welterweight belt by beating French Antoine Fernandez on points (San Pellegrino Terme 1992).
SAN SIRO NIGHT: LOI VS ORTIZ
MEMORABLE THE FAMOUS CHALLENGE BETWEEN DUILIO LOI AND CARLOS ORTIZ, VALID FOR THE WELTER WORLD WEIGHT TITLE,
TAKEN ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1960 AT THE SAN SIRO STADIUM IN FRONT OF 65,000 ENTHUSIASTIC SPECTATORS.
"It is the evening of September 1, 1960, the S. Siro stadium crowds. Over 60,000 boxing fans have met in the large Milanese stadium, usually located for football, to support their idol Duilio Loi, the most popular boxer of the Italy ever. The Italian tries the big feat, that of ousting the world welterweight title jr. As indicated in those years, now super light, the Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz, a champion with a capital C, who three months earlier at the Cow Palace of San Francisco had kept the belt with a decidedly disputed majority (2-1). The day before in Rome, the Olympic boxing finals ended, with an extraordinary balance: three golds (Musso, Benvenuti and De Piccoli ), three silvers (Zamparini, Bossi and Lopopolo), a bronze (Giulio Saraudi). Italy in gloves is doing great and after the Olympic triumphs, he hopes to complete the budget by relying on the boxing genius of Loi. Milan is for this boxer born in Trieste from a Sardinian father, raised in Genoa and launched in the firmament of Milan, by SIS, the company directed by Vittorio Strumolo and Giovanni Busacca, with the support of Steve Klaus called 'la Volpe' (The Fox), born in the USA, a great connoisseur of the sector who after leading the Hungarian national team takes up the blue one until the eve of Rome, leaving it to Natalino Rea, to devote himself to the professionalism of our home. Behind the Milanese event, there is his hand. He convinced Ortiz to fight in Italy. Masterful blow, Loi in turn, makes a real masterpiece, beating the Puerto Rican, even knocking him out. Not only that, he also repeated the success in the beautiful race held on May 10 of the following year, always in Milan and always in S. Siro, again forcing Ortiz to count in the sixth round and ending up a clear winner on points.
The city of Madonnina, for these events, has eyes and ears only for noble art. Ensuring a very high level parterre. Guido Borghi in the lead, owner of Ignis, main sponsor of the boxing colony led by Duilio, a large number of showbiz, with Delia Scala and loyal fans such as Walter Chiari, Mario Riva, Gino Bramieri and many other actors, alongside Milan well. Among the celebrities, we find Orlando Leone, his face radiant for having achieved his triumph on that occasion. The gloves that wrap the hands of all the protagonists are the "Leone 1947", his masterpiece, the personal world championship. The protagonists of that evening that will go down in history wear them. From the Ligurian giant Mino Bozzano, idol of the fairer sex, who on the occasion beats the German Whitehurst, the spezzino Bruno Visintin, Duilio's favorite sparring, with enormous talent, the two challenges with Loi were among the most balanced, which keeps the tricolor against Jaques Nervi from Brescia, residing in France, the indomitable Giancarlo Garbelli one of the Milanese darlings, winner of the krukko Peter Muller, a rough test driver. Applause also for Italo Scortichini, from the Marche region of Fabriano, who made his bones in the USA and pleases the public for his generosity, better than Eddie Thompson. All of them with the “Leone 1947” boxing gloves.
A championship in the color of the boxing iris has been missing in Milan since 1933, when Domenico "Pasqualino" Bernasconi, at Palasport, tries to unseat Al Brown from the kingdom of the roosters. The Italian with an atomic punch almost succeeds, had it not been for the grullaggine of the meeting commissioner, who is holding the referee's decision. The Panamanian champion, in the third round, hit by Como's right, clings to Bernasconi like ivy on the wall, so as not to collapse on the carpet. He does so long and blatantly that the English referee decides to disqualify. But Edoardo Mazzia, refuses the verdict and continues the match, won by the points by the guest, because he says: "Such a title would not have liked the party". It was March 19, 1933, 100 days before Carnera's feat in New York, the first Italian world champion. "
Giuliano Orlando, born in Genoa, has lived in Milan since the 1960s. Professional journalist and writer, he went through the classic career: editor, correspondent and sports manager in the reported "Il Lavoro Nuovo", "Il Corriere dello Sport", "Il Giorno" and "Avvenire". He collaborates with "Runner's World" and for many years with "La Gazzetta dello Sport".
Present at major international sporting events and the Olympics since the seventies. Following in particular boxing, athletics and skiing.
Director of «Jogging», «Il biliardo» and «Boxe Ring», he traveled the world for the magazine «Cendere», directed by Marco Marchei, illustrating the emotions of the most important marathons, from China to Australia, from the South Pole to Ushuaia.
He told the stories of great champions of the Italian rings, from Loi to Formenti, Visentin, Garbelli, Bossi, Lopopolo, Udella, Zanon, Mattioli and many others. Present in the ringside world to the most important challenges of Arcari, Benvenuti, Mazzinghi, Monzon, Cassius Clay, Leonard, Hearns and Hagler up to the present day.
He won the Coni Prize for sports literature, in 1984, with "The history of boxing" published by Longanesi, presented by Gianni Brera, and in 2000 with "Strada doing", live reportage, narrating the unforgettable experiences in the hundred cities acquired as a sportsman and marathon runner. In 2015 he wrote "Rocky Marciano - The King" awarded as the sports book of the year.