Antonio Pasin started making wagons in 1923. He was an Italian immigrant. He started the Radio Flyer company. he was born in 1897 and died in 1990.
Antonio Pasin was born in Venice, Italy in 1897. Antonio moved to America when he was 16 to begin a new life in New York City in 1913. He had no money and he didn't know anyone. He moved to Chicago with nothing but a name and a dream. He may have had other odd jobs. He invested his savings and bought used woodworking tools and rented a one room workshop. He created his first wagon there in 1917 and named it the Liberty Coaster after being inspired by the Statue of Liberty. He then opened a small factory west of Chicago in a daring investment. It paid off when he receive an order for 7000 wagons and suddenly his company took off. In 1927 Antonio wanted to make a wagon affordable for every child, especially because he never had one growing up with very little money. He did that by adopting steel stamping mass production techniques inspired by the automobile industry, earning him the nickname "Little Ford".[1]
His first wagon was called the Radio Flyer after his amazement of the radio and the wonders of flight. He renamed his company the Radio Steel and Manufacturing Company in 1930. His company became the largest producer of toy wagons producing 1500 wagons a day despite the Great Depression. In 1933 the World Fair was coming to Chicago and Antonio has a bold idea. The Company executive say that it is crazy but against their advise and in the middle of the depression he risked major debt but decided to build a 45 foot statue of a boy riding a wagon. Under the wagon there was a shop that sold miniature wagons for 25 cents. After taking the risk, the company captured the country's attention and the modern Radio Flyer was born. Pasin was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2003.[2]
He died in 1990.
www.radioflyerlink.com/apps/history/antonio/antonio_01.html