16 1/2" Michele de Luccia viola, Salerno 1975

From the third generation of the De Luccia dynasty of Italian instrument makers, Michele De Luccia (II) was born in 1912 in Sessa Cilento, and learned to build both plucked and bowed instruments from his uncle Michele (I, 1848 - 1924) alongside his cousin Gennaro (b. 1911). In 1958, De Luccia immigrated to the United States to work for Rembert Wurlitzer, and later Jacques Français in New York City, where he became a very prolific maker, especially of violas.

De Luccia worked continuously until his death in 1980 in Paterson, New Jersey.