Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo (Sant'Antimo near Naples, 28 April 1876 - Magreglio, 15 August 1938) was an italian engineer and an entrepreneur.
Nicola graduated with a degree in engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in 1899. After that, he worked for a couple of years abroad and completed a second bachelor degree in electrical engineering in Liège, Belgium. In 1911 he returned to Italy and created "Ing. Nicola Romeo e Co.". The company manufactured machines and equipment for the mining industry. As the company became successful he wanted to expand and acquired a majority of Milan based car manufacturing company A.L.F.A. in 1915. Only three years later, in 1918, the whole company was under Nicola Romeos ownership. A.L.F.A. was renamed to "Società Anonima Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo". The first car carrying the Alfa Romeo badge was the 1921 Torpedo 20/30 HP. The company gained a good reputation but in 1927 came very close to liquidation. These changes "forced" him to leave in 1928.
In his private life he was married to Portuguese Angelina Valadin and fathered seven children; Maurizio, Edoardo, Nicholas, Elena, Giulietta, Piera and Irene.
Nicola Romeo passed away on the 15th of August, 1938 in his home at Lake Como at the age of 62.
Almost seventy years later, with the 130th anniversary of his birth Naples dedicated a street to the memory of Nicola Romeo called Via Nicola Romeo.