From porcelain dolls to limousines, the story of Massimiliano De Vincenzo is many kilometers long and has an ocean in between. His story starts from Messina
From porcelain dolls to limousines, the story of Massimiliano De Vincenzo it is many, many kilometers long, and with an ocean in the middle. Born in ’67, from Messina, just a year after graduating in Economics and Commerce in 1991 he started a family craft business which continued until 2006: “Le Bambole di Arianna”, a production of collectible porcelain dolls.
A successful project which sees these creations exported to many countries around the world, including the United States where, in 1995, a permanent showroom was opened at none other than 225 Fifth Avenuein New York.
Even though the business was later sold for family reasons, America still became home for Massimiliano. The first trip to the USA in 1988 and then again in ’90 sparked his interest in this varied universe until, in 2013, weapons, luggage, willpower and getting back into the game, he moved to Miami.
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This step took place together with Liliu, his wife of Cuban origin, and their two daughters Beatriz and Isabel, who at the time were two girls aged just three and nine. A move always represents a radical change and here was the beginning of a new chapter.
With Miami Max – imagine how the Americans would have pronounced his first name – he immediately established a particular feeling due to his Latin essence.
Moreover, we have seen that the Latin world has literally embraced it…Miami is a microcosm where two different cultures meet, with the right mix, because if it is true that you can breathe the Cuban sprint, on the other hand it is an American city administered on the basis of a rigorous Anglo-Saxon model.
An extremely stimulating city, culturally lively and of great importance from a socio-economic point of view. All characteristics that go well with Massimiliano’s nature.
A fantastic universe which, however, did not soften the initial impact, especially since the administrative model which he likes today and makes him live well, for the first year prevented the whole family from having a permanent residence. There were many problems which, among other things, also had repercussions on the workplace.
At a certain point, however, by resisting and persevering, the long-awaited moment arrives Green card for the members of the De Vincenzo family, and Max rolls up his sleeves with various jobs: postman, Italian language teacher, statistical survey officer on behalf of the US Department of Commerce, airport security check officer for one of the federal organizations born after the tragedy of 2001, uber, and even Sacks driver on Fifth Avenue.
Because the American dream was there, but at the same time with him, already at almost fifty years old, there was the awareness of a mature man who does not expect gifts from life, yet still wants to offer the best to his wife and daughters.
After these multiple experiences, Max begins, by chance, to work as a tour guide, an inevitability facilitated by his knowledge of four languages and his passion for history. He is a man used to doing things well and so in 2022, from that new job born so by chance, he founded his own company which he calls, coincidentally, “Tours by Max Inc” through which he deals with tours, excursions and limousine and SUV transfer services which he has purchased in the meantime.
In just a few years it has become a well-known and appreciated operator in Miami, as well as the only Italian guide included in a platform present in various countries around the world.
Such is the demand that he is often unable to satisfy it and even some VIPs have gotten involved. Beatriz and Isabel grew up in the United States and this makes them today girls who are absolutely inserted into the lives of their peers. They have received an education in which Latin culture blends with American culture, but they still maintain their Italian roots, starting from tongue.
In fact, at the De Vincenzo house, we mostly speak and eat Italian, even if Liliu occasionally cooks some Cuban dishes. It is also no coincidence that the four have maintained double passports, remaining linked to their origins. For Max and his wife, however, it’s a little different… having emigrated when he was not a child, and immersed in work, he can boast only a few friendships – but good ones – precisely because what he lacks first of all is the time to cultivate new ones.
Liliu for her part has a beauty business within one of the most renowned beauty salons in the city. «Life here is very much absorbed by work, even if we try to carve out moments of relaxation and leisure – Max tells me – I am grateful to this great country that welcomed us and which, despite many contradictions, remains in my opinion the country leader of the free world.”
The life of the De Vincenzo family therefore proceeds with a normal routine, but inserted in a postcard context, often a dream destination for Italians and many honeymoons.
Colorful art deco buildings, white sand beaches teeming with tourists, towering palm trees, turquoise waters and that festive atmosphere that can be felt in the streets and which has gradually made Miami the place called “home” for Max and his girls. If Liliu is a short distance from Cuba, her home, obviously this is not the case for her husband, Italy is much further away… so, when they succeed, linked by a love for the island that has not dissolved in these ten years, they always try to return for short periods.
Their future now lies in the USA but, thinking about retirement, Max already has half an idea of taking a break in Sicily for a few months. Obviously no one can predict the future, but the present of the De Vincenzo family, thanks to dad Max and his ability to reinvent himself, seems more than radiant.
