Mr. Joe Massimino Sr.
Sept 21, 1901 – July 18, 1993
Honored by MAS on Nov 7, 1999
Joe Massimino was born in Caru, Italy. He married his wife, Marie in 1928 but they didn’t tell their parent for six months. He was typical young musician and worked in the coalmines during the day and jobbed on weekends. He played the vaudeville circuit and appeared on local radio shows.
Joe and Marie moved to Detroit in 1928 on the tip that Ford Motor Car Company was hiring. He was able to work and Ford until injuring his hand in a drill press. Joe and Marie had three sons, Joseph R., Robert and Thomas C.
He opened a walk up Studio near Harper and Van Dyke and for a time was business partners with Mario Connederia and Tony Weaver. In 1949 Joe opened an Accordion Studio and Music Store on Seven Mile Road near Van Dyke in Detroit. The Massimino Music Studio was one of the few independent music stores for sales, lessons and dancing in the area at that time. He was on the location until 1972, when he opened the Massimino Music tore on 13 mile and Groesbeck in Roseville, MI.
Besides being a professional musician, a well respected Accordion Instructor and importer and seller of Accordions, he was also a technician. He held several patents for Accordion Shift. Joe served as the first president of the American Accordion Association of Michigan. Joe Passed away at the age of 91, leaving his beloved wife of 65 years, three sons, three daughter in laws, a sister, ten great grandchildren and one great grandchild.
