Giovanni Pistucci

Born in Naples, Italy in 1864.

From 1885 he worked under Vincenzo Postiglione (1835-1916), one of the leading makers of the Neapolitan school of the 20th century, and famous as a copyist.
He made traditional Neapolitan violins, copying instruments from the Gagliano family and many other minor Neapolitan makers, and affixing his own hand-made labels to them. He also had a high level of varnishing technique, using golden yellow and red-brown varnishes.
In addition, for many of his later works, he entrusted the varnishing work to Vittorio Bellarosa (1907-1979), and after Pistucci's death, Bellarosa took over all of Pistucci's tools and equipment.
He won prizes at exhibitions in Brussels and Naples, and made 800 violins, 200 violas, and 25 cellos during his lifetime.

He died in Naples in 1955 (aged 91).

Quoted from The Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers