· Messina assume il suo
primo incarico alla filiale di
Catania della ‘Rinascente’,
convinto fin da allora
che «per raggiungere gli
obiettivi occorrono sacrifici,
determinazione, coraggio
nell’osare e abilità nel
ponderare i passaggi che
separano dalla meta».
· Messina was given his first
job in the Catania branch
of the department store
‘la Rinascente’.
Even though he was young,
even then he believed that
«in order to achieve your
goals, it is necessary to
make sacrifices, display
determination, have the
courage to take chances
and exploit any innate
ability to assess the steps
that stand in the way of the
objective».
Messina era nato ad Aci Castello, in Sicilia,
il 23 dicembre del 1942, primo di sei figli, in
una famiglia benestante.
Ma il padre, capace imprenditore agricolo, muore
quando Rosario ha quindici anni.
E il primogenito diventa di colpo il capofamiglia.
Per sostenere madre e fratelli il giovane Rosario
cerca lavoro. Lo trova alla filiale di Catania dei
grandi magazzini ‘la Rinascente’, uno dei migliori
negozi in città: forse risale a quell’epoca una
seconda fotografia trovata nell’archivio, in cui
vediamo un giovane ben vestito, dritto, dall’aria
decisa. Inizia come apprendista, ma presto si fa
notare per le sue capacità commerciali: riesce a
vendere, nel caldo dell’estate siciliana, tagli di
flanella. Da Milano, sede centrale della catena,
devono mandare dei riassortimenti di merce.
Un talento. Nel frattempo studia da privatista e
in un anno (al posto dei normali cinque) prende
il diploma di ragioneria.
Il giorno dell’esame il professore gli dice:
«Voi esterni venite qui senza sapere niente».
E Messina, per evitare di essere vittima di un
giudizio prevenuto, chiede e ottiene che
l’esame si svolga sotto l’osservazione dei
Carabinieri. Giovane, coraggioso.
E molto determinato. Dopo poco lascia
‘la Rinascente’ per entrare alla Zanussi-Rex,
industria leader nel campo degli elettrodomestici,
come funzionario locale.
Messina was born in Aci Castello, in Sicily, on
December 23rd 1942, the first of six children
in an affluent family. However, his father, a very
capable farmer, died when Rosario was just 15
years of age. According to tradition, as the
first-born male, he became the head of the family.
To support his mother and his younger siblings,
young Rosario looked for work. He was given a
job at the Catania branch of the ‘la Rinascente’
department store, one of the best shops in the
city: a second photograph found in the archives
possibly dates to around that time. It shows a
young, well-dressed man, standing tall and
exuding a decisive personality.
He began as an apprentice, but he was soon
noticed by the management thanks to his sales
ability: he was able to sell flannels in the torrid
heat of the Sicilian summer. And to meet
demand, the merchandise had to be shipped from
the chain’s headquarters in Milan.
He had a natural talent for business. In the
meantime, he continued as an external candidate
and in just one year (instead of the usual five
years) he graduated from high school in book-
keeping. On the day of the exam, the teacher
announced: «All of you external candidates turn
up for these exams without knowing anything».
And to avoid being a victim of this type of
prejudice, Messina requested that he was tested
under the observation of a policeman, and this
was permitted.
He was young, he was courageous, and he was
extremely determined. A short time later, he left
his job with ‘la Rinascente’ to join a leading
company in electrical appliances, Zanussi-Rex,
as a local executive.
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