Gigi

Luigi “Gigi” Crugnola was born in 1934, the same year his uncle and mother — Angelo and Adele Bianchi — partnered with Giorgio Rovera to start a pipe company in Varese, Italy. For three decades the business produced pipes primarily for export. In 1964, after Angelo Bianchi’s passing, Gigi took over the company and renamed it after his childhood nickname. Today he still runs the workshop, and most Gigi pipes continue to be crafted for international markets.