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. The business produced pipes for three decades, mainly for export abroad. In 1964, after Angelo Bianchi’s death, Gigi took over the company, renaming it after his own nickname. Today, he still runs the company, with most Gigi pipes continuing to be made for international markets.