'47 (brand)
'47 is a privately held American clothing brand founded in 1947 as "Twins Enterprise" by twin Italian immigrant brothers, Henry and Arthur D'Angelo.[1] '47 maintains licenses to create headwear, apparel and accessories for the Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, National Football League, Big Bash League, Minor League Baseball, Major League Lacrosse, National Rugby League[2] and over 900 college institutions in the United States.[3] As of 2024, the company has about 250 employees and more than $400 million in annual revenues.[1]
| Formerly | Twins Enterprises, '47 Brand |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Apparel |
| Founded | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. (1947) |
| Founders | Henry and Arthur D'Angelo |
| Headquarters | |
Key people |
|
| Products | Sports licensing, headwear, apparel |
| Website | www |
Founders edit
Arthur and Henry D'Angelo, identical twin brothers, were born in Orsogna, Italy in 1926.[3] They came to the United States in 1938 at age 12 and soon began selling various items, including baseball pennants for two cents, and sold them near Fenway Park where the Boston Red Sox play.[1] For a period of time, the brothers were also in the laundry and dry-cleaning business, counting Ted Williams as one of their customers, but the business was insufficiently profitable, so they focused on sports merchandise instead.[1]
In 1977, Arthur's oldest son, Robert, joined the business.[3] In the next nine years, Arthur's three other sons (Mark, David, and Steven) joined as well. Henry D'Angelo died from cancer in 1987.[4]
On September 21, 2013, the Red Sox and Thomas Menino, then-Mayor of Boston, honored Arthur D'Angelo by naming a street near Fenway Park after him, "Arthur's Way". Rewarding his faith in the team, the Red Sox gave Arthur D'Angelo a 2004 World Series ring after winning their first World Series since 1918.[1] With his store located just outside of Fenway's main entrance, D'Angelo was often referred to as the "Mayor of Fenway Park."[1]
Each of his four sons has held vice president positions with the company.[5] Arthur D'Angelo was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2018.[6]
Arthur D'Angelo died on February 29, 2024.[7] He was survived by his wife of 71 years Barbara (Kaufmann) D'Angelo, four sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[1]
In a 1996 interview with The Boston Globe, Arthur D'Angelo said, "It's been a lot of fun. I've had a great life, My brother and I worked hard, but we were rewarded. And the stories! What stories!"[1]
History edit
In 1965, the D'Angelo brothers purchased a 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) retail space on Yawkey Way to sell Red Sox souvenirs. The company now owns and operates the Red Sox Team Store at 19 Jersey Street across from Fenway Park.[8] On game days, the store is open to ticketed patrons two hours before game time, throughout the game, and 30 minutes after the end of the game. The store operates daily.[9] The company headquarters is located in Westwood, Massachusetts. In addition, they have a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) warehouse in Brockton, Massachusetts.
In 2010, Twins Enterprise changed its name to '47 Brand.[10] In 2015, they dropped the "Brand" from their name, although the company is still occasionally referred to by its former names various publications.[11]
In 2014, '47 became an official licensed on-field partner for four teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League.[12] In 2015, '47 expanded their portfolio with a USSF and Major League Soccer partnership deal.[13] In the same year, the company clinched the rights to produce caps for MLB on-field postseason celebrations until 2019,[14] and secured a license to create merchandise for Major Baseball League International (MLBI).[15] Also in 2015, '47 created headwear, accessories and apparel for the Black Fives Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that preserves the history of basketball pre-racial integration—Black Fives states this was "the first retail sports apparel line ever produced under license from a public charity."[16] In 2024, '47 became partners with NASCAR.[17]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hagerty, James R. "Arthur D'Angelo, the 'Mayor of Fenway Park,' Dies at 97". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ . National Rugby League. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c "The '47 Story". '47. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ Borchers, Callum (30 October 2013). "Yawkey Way Store hitches its fate to Red Sox". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ . MLB.com. September 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "'47 Co-Founder Arthur D'Angelo to be Inducted into Red Sox Hall of Fame". prnewswire.com (Press release). May 22, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Marquard, Bryan. "Arthur D'Angelo, the all-star of Fenway souvenirs and apparel, dies at 97". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ "19 Jersey Street - The Souvenir Store Across from Fenway Park". 19JerseyStreet.com. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (August 3, 2006). "Hats off to him — D'Angelo wears his success in the souvenir business well". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Lukas, Paul (September 27, 2012). "Uni-Watch Profiles: Craig Rodia". Uni-Watch.com. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "Company Overview of '47 Brand Inc". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "'47 Brand Partners with Cape Cod Baseball League". Business Wire. August 7, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ Thomas, Ian (January 20, 2015). "MLS, USSF To Announce New Licensing Deal With '47 Brand"". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Brown, Maury (April 3, 2015). "MLB Properties Extends Agreements with New Era, Nike and 47 Brand till 2019". Forbes. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Goodison, Donna (December 2, 2015). "Westwood co. '47 signs licensing deal with MLB". Boston Herald.
- ^ "Basketball History Focused Black Fives Foundation Expands and Reinforces Its Mission and Goals". BlackFives.org. August 27, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- ^ "'47 Becomes Official Licensee of NASCAR Team Properties for Premium Headwear and Apparel". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
External links edit
- Official website
- 19jerseystreet.com