La Bella Strings
1640s Salle, Italy in the 17th century, the small town of Salle in the Abruzzi region of Italy became a renowned center for string manufacturing in Europe. The most prominent families in this craft were Berti, Dorazio, Ruffini, and Mari. Known across Europe for their exceptional gut strings for lutes, guitars, and violins, these families pioneered some of the earliest strings for wire-strung instruments. The Mari family, set up in Salle in the 1640s, became one of the suppliers of violin strings to the legendary Amati and Stradivari in Cremona. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the "House of Mari" also ran a metal foundry producing church bells.
New York Brothers Emilio and Olinto Mari left Italy to seek new opportunities in America, settling in New York City. They began producing gut and steel strings in their tiny Manhattan apartment. Their handmade strings quickly gained popularity among local musicians, leading to their expansion. The brothers became known for their high-quality strings, marketed under brands like La Preferita, Sweetone, Criterion, and New-Tone. In 1914, they opened their first factory at 170 Fifth Avenue.
To meet the growing demand in the U.S. and Europe, Lanciano, Italy, Emilio, and Olinto opened a string factory in their native Abruzzi. This facility ran until the outbreak of World War II. La Bella, the "La Bella" brand, was officially trademarked, becoming the flagship brand for E. & O. Mari's line of orchestral gut strings.
E. & O. Mari E. & O. Mari, Inc., the parent company of La Bella Strings, officially incorporated in New York. In Queens, NY, in 1937, with World War II looming, E. & O. Mari closed their Italian factory and moved their Manhattan operations to Long Island City, NY, where they remained for 40 years. Newburgh, NY La Bella eventually moved its factory to Newburgh, New York, the sole manufacturing site for all La Bella music strings.
E. & O. Mari, Inc. is the oldest incorporated, continuously family-owned, and operated music string manufacturer worldwide. Today, the company stays family-run, passed down from Olinto Mari to his daughter Elisabetta Mari, then to her son Richard Mari Cocco Jr., and now to her grandchildren Eric Cocco, Vice-President, and Lorenza Cocco. As a strong advocate for the arts and music education, E. & O. Mari sponsors jazz and rock clinics and artist residencies and supports guitar festivals and competitions by subsidizing scholarships and awards.