The Mari family began making violin strings in the town of Salle, Italy, in the 14th century. It was in 1640 that the Mari family came to prominence. For centuries their factory supplied the finest strings to violin makers including Amati and Stradivari. By the 20th century, the House of Mari was one of the largest manufacturers of musical instrument strings in Italy. It was during that time period the Mari family began to sell their best strings under the brand name "La Bella."
New York City became the new home to brothers Emilio and Olinto Mari in 1916 when they opened a factory near Union Square, producing both gut and steel strings. Eleven years later, Italy awarded E. & O. Mari with its Gold Medal Diploma, an award and an honor to the Mari brothers for excellence in manufacturing.
At the start of World War II, E. & O. Mari closed their Italian factory. Later, shortly after the war ended, the brothers moved their factory to Long Island City, New York. E. & O. Mari remained on Long Island for nearly 40 years after which the company moved to its present location in Newburgh, New York.
E. & O. Mari is still family owned and operated, continuing over three centuries of quality and innovation. The current Chairperson is the daughter of Olinto Mari, Elisabetta Mari Cocco, and the President is her son, Richard Cocco, Jr.
E. & O. Mari exists for musicians. We take great pride in creating the best products to maximize the performances of players, professional and recreational alike. E. & O. Mari has been guided for over 350 years by its commitment to high standards of quality and value. Our focus has been and always will be the musical artists of the world.
Find more info on our strings, including Baritone and 7 -String sets, in the String Showcase .
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