Our Legacy and Employees

A

Family

Business

162
Years

in
the

making

Daprato Statuary Company Founded

Daprato Statuary was founded in 1860 in Chicago, Illinois.  It was founded by the 4 DaPrato brothers, American immigrants from the Tuscan town of Barga, Italy.  They were statue-makers.  In fact, their whole town was statue-makers.  They had the idea to move to America and furnish and sell statues in a new land.

 

John E. Rigali was their younger cousin who was a prodigy statue carver.  He chose to go apprentice under the Daprato brothers at the age of 16 and he left Italy for America.

Company Evoluation

John E. Rigali worked his first year for room and board. He slept, ate, and worked in the studio’s basement at Van Buren and Clark streets. By night he and the Daprato brothers fashioned the figurines. By day he sold them to the Chicago residents.

 

He eventually suggested the business switch from making novelty statuettes to supplying churches with altars and statues. In 1890 he became President of the firm and oversaw its growth into a worldwide ecclesiastical art producer and distributor.

Growth Explodes Worldwide

In the late 1800’s Daprato Statues and other furnishings set the standard for religious art around the world.

 

By 1917, Daprato Statuary Company operated locations in Chicago, New York, Montreal, Canada, and in Pietrasanta, Italy, near the famous Italian Carrara Marble Quarry, which is still a source for many of our marble projects today.

 

The company evolved into managing complete church interior decorations.  From the Artistic to the Architectural, and everything in between.  Their commitment to quality has endured, and we now approach every project with the same fervor, fearlessness and creativity as our ancestors.

The Rigali Legacy

In 1881, John E. Rigali, the great-grandfather of the firm’s five current full-time family members, immigrated to Chicago and began working with the Daprato brothers after completing his art training with the well-known instructor Maestro Colognieri of Florence. By 1884, John E. Rigali became a partner, and ultimately in 1890, president of Daprato Statuary Company. The firm was headquartered in Chicago at the corner of Van Buren and Canal Street.


In 1909, our studios received the title of “Pontifical Institute of Christian Art”, an honor bestowed by His Holiness Pope St. Pius X. We continue to wear this title with pride, memorializing the Holy Father’s coat of arms within our company crest.

The Daprato Statuary Company forged on through the years with a family member guiding the organization through every generation. In 1960, under the guidance of Robert Rigali, the organization took on a new name, Daprato Rigali Studios, and in the wake of Vatican II, the company successfully reinvented itself turning change into growth, and challenges into opportunities. Daprato Rigali Studios steadily expanded its dedication to artistic church decoration and statuary over the decades, building a nationwide reputation of excellence and consistency.

Our Team

Robert Rigali Jr.

Owner

John Rigali

Owner

Mike Rigali

Owner

Elizabeth Rigali

Owner

Jim Thiese

Licensed Architect / Stained Glass Director

Daniel Rigali

National Sales Executive

Leanne Alvizu

Office Manager

Leo Gaona

Senior Projects Manager

Plamen Petrov

Lead Artist | Stained Glass + Creative Art Leader

Roman Iniguez

Senior Project Foreman

Ralph Salazar

Decorative Paint Manager, Stained Glass and Project Install Specialist

Joe Ufheil

Masonry and Furnishings Fabrication Specialist

Ewa Kostryko

Artist + Statue Restoration Specialist

Jose Lazaro

Stained Glass and Window Frames Specialist

Danny Perez

Project Manager

Andrew Gaona

Stained Glass and Project Specialist

Adam Blume

Stained Glass Design & Fabrication

Alex Sanchez

Stained Glass Department Leader

Joe DeAlba

Stained Glass Creator

Jack Rigali

Stained Glass Fabrication Specialist

Audrey Galvin

Marketing, Branding and Social Media Strategist 

Taylor Rigali
Stained Glass Projects Assistant and Digital Marketing Strategist

Gustavo Aceves

Painting and Stencil Specialist

Matt Holbrook

Stained Glass Technician and In-Field Projects Facilitator

Trevor Hannagan

Digital and Technology Manager

Brent Hjerdstedt

Art and Project Associate

Johnny Sanchez

Stained Glass Artist