Who bought Franco Cozzo? How much did Franco Cozzo sell Footscray for?

Pelligra Group, a private developer had bought Franco Cozzo for $7 million in 2018.

How much did Franco Cozzo sell Footscray for?

Cozzo sold Footscray for $7 million.

About Franco Cozzo

Franco Cozzo, the Italian-Australian businessman who left an great mark on the cultural landscape of Victoria, passed away on December 20, 2023, at the age of 88.

His legacy extends beyond furniture retail, encompassing pioneering contributions to multiculturalism and groundbreaking television ventures.

Arriving in Melbourne in 1955, Cozzo quickly became a household name through his distinctive television advertisements. Fluent in English, Greek, and Italian, he reached a diverse audience and became renowned for his direct and engaging approach with customers.

One of Cozzo’s most notable achievements was the production of Australia’s first non-English TV show, “Carosello,” broadcast entirely in Italian.

In the late 1960s, Cozzo further solidified his impact by creating a TV show on Channel 0, featuring local Italian-Australian musical acts. Remarkably, this was the first Australian TV show not broadcast in English, pre-dating ethnic broadcasting on the government’s Special Broadcasting Service by over a decade.

Simultaneously, he strategically purchased what would become his flagship store in Footscray, an area that would later benefit significantly from his influence.

Over the course of more than 50 years, Franco Cozzo remained a cultural icon, adapting to changing tastes in furniture while consistently championing multiculturalism.

His distinctive advertising style for the Footscray store even elevated the suburb’s profile to the extent that the local council recognized his contributions with a plaque in 1981.