The secret history of Esselunga's birth: Rockefeller's idea, to change Italy

The Italian supermarket chain Esselunga was founded by Americans led by Nelson Rockefeller, inspired by the CIA, who wanted to bring a new model of modern retailing to Italy. These were the post-war years and the new retail model was seen as a way to lower food costs and improve the purchasing power of Italian families. This is the idea of James Hugh Angleton, an American intelligence official and the mastermind behind Rockefeller's plans, who argued that "to be a Communist with a full belly is a complex social and political strategy. "

This is recalled by Giuseppe Caprotti, author of "Le ossa dei Caprotti - Una storia italiana" ("Caprotti's Bones - A History of Italy").

This is the story of the extended Caprotti-Quintavalle family, developing over three centuries with internal conflicts and strong tensions. Thus, the history of Esselunga, the Italian retail brand with the best economic performance, is being rewritten using unpublished documents. This journey into the history of an Italian dynasty begins after World War II when young Bernardo Caprotti, a descendant of a family active in textile production, envisioned real estate development in Punta Ala. The death of Giuseppe Caprotti (Bernardo's father) on July 9, 1952, in a car accident "changed the fate of our family forever," the nephew writes. In 1955, a key meeting took place. Marco Brunelli, a well-known art dealer in Milan at the time and later founder of Gs with Guido Caprotti, as well as Finiper and Unes, organized a meeting in Milan with James Hugh Engleton, who introduced Rockefeller's idea: to bring supermarkets to Europe.

Brunelli decided to join the adventure and enlisted several Lombard entrepreneurs, Mario and Vittorio Crespi, as well as friend Guido Caprotti and his brother Bernardo. Most of the capital is owned by Rockefeller through the Ibec Group, and in 1957 Supermarkets italiani (Italian Supermarkets) was born. A few years later, Bernardo begins a battle for control of the company.

The book tells of defaulted loans, family conflicts, executives being fired from the company, and how Giuseppe became the subject of false news, accusations of mismanagement, even a psychiatric evaluation. For Bernardo's eldest son, the book is a "diary of defeat," but he also recalls several moments of joy, such as negotiating Cuore products with Malgara and winning a case against Coca-Cola. "We ended up on the front page of the Wall Street Journal," he says. Much is said about the strained relationship with his father, and tears slip into Giuseppe's narrative several times. "My father has ingeniously contributed to the development of Esselunga since 1965 and it is far from coincidental that he attracted the credit of his relatives who contributed to its growth. Peppino (grandfather) made the family rich with my grandmother," Giuseppe Caprotti continues. The book is an account of the Lombard dynasty that deserves a screen adaptation.

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