Guccio Gucci was born in Florence, Italy, on March 26, 1881. As shared by CR Fashion Book, his father worked as a leather goods maker, an influence that would go on to guide Guccio through his adult life. After striking out on his own by working as a porter at a hotel in London, Guccio eventually went back to Italy and began working for a luggage company. He opened the first Gucci store in 1921, selling leather saddles for horseback riders. 

Guccio married Aida Calvelli in 1901, and the pair raised six children together, including Aida's son from a previous relationship (per The U.S. Sun). Three of their sons — Aldo, Vasco, and Rodolfo Gucci — joined the family business in 1938, each tasked with modernizing the brand and expanding its reach further into Italy. 

Guccio died in 1953 only 15 days after opening the brand's store in New York City. In the years that followed, his children turned the family business into a thriving empire that attracted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy (per CR Fashion Book). Per the Telegraph, the empire was divided evenly among Aldo, Vasco, and Rodolfo, who each had their own roles as well — Aldo focused on expanding Gucci even further, Rodolfo was in charge of the shops in Italy, and Vasco oversaw production.