About us
Romagnoli Accordion Co.
In the early 1900s, Demo Piatanesi and his two brothers, Finau and Bramante, joined forces with other accordion manufacturers to open their first business in Chicago, Illinois. It was called the Italo-American Accordion Company and little by little it was gaining a reputation in the area for being able to manufacture more than 25 high-quality accordions each week. Fifty years later, Giuseppe “Joe” Romagnoli took over the reins of the business. He was known for being the last accordion manufacturer in America. Joe was known for his innovative ways of manufacturing and producing accordions that are still in use today. It is said that he was the last to create accordions from scratch. He opened the factory at 51st & Kedzie and continued to build accordions until he died in 1994. After his death, his wife, Anne moved the store to its current location in Oak Lawn, Illinois. To this day the essence of Joe is in each of his accordions. They are famous for being the best built in the world and are the most sought after. Today, Joe and Anne’s daughter, Rosanne along with her partner Renee, are proud to continue those traditions. They are always happy to help with a repair or match up a customer with their first (or fifth!) instrument. Come visit today!
Rosanne Romagnoli
Co-Owner of Romagnoli Accordion Co.
Rosanne literally has accordions in her blood! As the daughter of Joe & Anne Romagnoli, the original owners of Italo-American Accordion, she grew up in a world filled with musicians and technicians. Her roots are from Castelfidardo, Italy, the birthplace of the accordion. Today she is proud to continue those traditions at Romagnoli Accordions. Her greatest joy is watching a new player pick up their first accordion and instantly fall in love with the instrument. She is dedicated to keeping the traditions she grew up with alive for generations to come.
Mike Iwema
Artist-in-Residence
“Accordion Mike” is a talented musician with a special gift for the accordion. He discovered the accordion 11 years ago and began learning how to play many different types. Mike can play Italian ballads, classics from the 40’s and eclectic tunes from Austria. He is a member of the western-swing band, The Gin Palace Jesters. He is always willing to demo any accordion in the shop and is currently learning the intricacies of accordion repair.
Rosanne Romagnoli
Co-Owner of Romangoli Accordion Co.
Rosanne literally has accordions in her blood! As the daughter of Joe & Anne Romagnoli, the original owners of Italo-American Accordion, she grew up in a world filled with musicians and technicians. Her roots are in Castelfidardo, Italy, the birthplace of the accordion. Today she is proud to continue those traditions at Romagnoli Accordions. Her greatest joy is watching a new player pick up their first accordion and instantly fall in love with the instrument. She is dedicated to keeping the traditions she grew up with alive for generations to come.
Renee Lerner
Co-Owner of Romagnoli Accordion Co.
Renee walked into the accordion shop in February of 2011 and basically never left. Over the years she has met and worked alongside some of the most talented musicians in the country. She started as an office manager, but then began learning accordion repair alongside a master technician. She says, “I never know what to expect when I come to work every day. Will I tune a reed for a seasoned professional or help a teen choose their first accordion? Romagnoli Accordions is a very special place to be because my days are filled with music, joy and laughter.”
Mike Iwema
Artist-in-Residence
“Accordion Mike” is a talented musician with a special gift for the accordion. He discovered the accordion 10 years ago and began learning how to play many different types. Mike can play Italian ballads, who is a member of the western-swing band, The Gin Palace Jesters. He is always willing to demo any accordion in the shop and is currently learning accordion repair.
Jack Pals
Junior Artist-in-Residence
Jack won his first accordion competition at the age of 6 and has been playing and entertaining ever since. He learned on a 12-bass Hohner, but now prefers to play his favorite song, Roll Out the Barrel, on his professional PANcordion. Jack appreciates French and Italian tunes, as well as the classics sung by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He attends Butler University and dreams of owning a high-end auto dealership… but he’ll never stop playing the accordion!
Remembering Anne Romagnoli
1926-2017
