On Saturday, December 13, the specialty-coffee world lost one of the great ones: Bruno Dalla Corte passed away after a long struggle with disease. He was 85.
Bruno was perhaps known best for two great accomplishments in the espresso-machine engineering world: the development of La Spaziale in 1969, and the work he accomplished with his son, Paolo Dalla Corte, with the Milanese company they founded in 2001, Dalla Corte Espresso Systems.
“Evolution, the new machine, carried Bruno’s name and logo and boasted an innovative technology: an independent boiler espresso machine was entering the market for the first time,” reads a statement issued by Dalla Corte on Monday, December 15. “It was an actual revolution for the espresso machine industry. Their dream was starting to come true. The opening of a new plant in 2001, and the creation of the new machine in 2002, œmade me feel younger, Bruno commented.”
Though Paolo, who was profiled in the December+January 2013 issue of Barista Magazine, spearheaded the design of Dalla Corte espresso machines, and managed the company, he and Bruno discussed every detail of the work extensively.
Attendees of the company’s now-famous barista gathering, DC Campus, had the great honor of meeting Bruno when he would come to the three-day forum for barista champions to talk about his history in coffee as well as his hopes for their future. The baristas were thrilled to have their photos taken with the legendary Bruno Dalla Corte following his thoughtful, quiet public addresses.
Bruno delighted in his grandchildren, Valentina, Pietro, Kenvi, and Freddy, most of whom now work for the family company. But though Dalla Corte was most certainly a family company, Bruno embraced every employee as an adopted family member, and the warmth, humility, and knowledge he shared with all of those around him, will live on even after his departure.
“Thank you, Bruno, for all you did,” reads the statement issued by the company. “For your proud yet discreet presence, and for your precious contributions to the espresso-machine industry, and to all of us. Your echo is resounding all over the world.”
