Anthony Augliera Moving, Storage, & Theatrical Transfer began in 1910 with its only assets being a wagon, a horse named Fanny, and a young immigrant from Messina, Sicily. Tony, known as Little Tony, came to America in 1905 with his mother and younger brother to join older brother Joe, who had been here for several years. Tony worked in a factory for a short time but did not enjoy working inside. He then began selling papers, which ultimately led to work as a push-cart vendor selling peanuts, milk, ice-cream, fruits, vegetables, and coal.

In 1910, 19-year-old Tony met Sylvester Poll, a very prominent businessman, who owned a string of Vaudeville and movie houses. Mr. Poll sold Tony a horse and wagon for $200, which was Tony's start in the trucking business, while Mr. Poll concentrated on building theaters. He became Tony's mentor, teaching him good business practices and social graces.

With Tony's strong desire to build a business, Tony’s business became Theatrical Transfer, Moving & Storage Company for all of New Haven County, CT. For many years, Tony held exclusive permits to haul theatrical baggage and scenery, all the while continuing his regular residential and commercial moving. In time, Tony acquired his first parking lot in the city of New Haven, CT, and over the years, he owned and operated over seven parking lots at one time. It was in 1917 that Tony purchased his first truck, a Mack. His moving and theatrical business continued to grow in the years that followed.

In 1942, Tony purchased the New Haven Baggage Transfer. He opened an office in the New Haven Railroad Terminal in order to accommodate all of his customers, which included the Yale Community. At that time, travelers shipped their trunks and baggage by rail. The office in the railroad station became the hub for all his businesses: household moving, baggage transfer, parking lots, storage, and theatrical transfer.

During World War II, good employees were hard to find, and Tony’s only two sons were taken out of college to join the Army and Air Force. On a personal note, Tony felt very strongly about this country and all it has to offer. Even though he spoke broken English, he took pride in speaking this country’s language. He taught himself to read and went to night school. He worked hard for his family, which consisted of his wife Katie, his sons Anthony and Salvatore, and his daughters Pauline and Lucille.

It was not usual for Tony himself to bring in a Shubert show on Monday, work all week moving household goods, and then work Saturday night into Sunday, taking a show out of the Shubert. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, he would bring the ice show to the New Haven Arena.

During the 1940s, most of the Broadway shows opened at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, CT before going to Boston or New York. After the war, between the years 1946 and 1947, both of Tony's sons decided not to return to college and began working in their father’s business. It was in 1946 that the business was incorporated as Anthony Augliera Inc. His daughters, Pauline and Lucille, on separate occasions, ran the office and handled the bookkeeping, while his sons handled the household moving, theatrical, and trucking businesses. In the mid-1950s, Tony took semi-retirement by working only with the parking lot business.

After Tony’s death in 1962, his sons took over the management of the business. They sold off all of the parking lots to the city of New Haven, CT for redevelopment. In 1970, after the death of their mother Katie, Anthony and Salvatore received full ownership of the company. The business continued to grow to include the hauling of shows and concerts at the Coliseum, symphonies at Woolsey Hall, and local moving and trucking. The year 1980 brought the third generation to work in the family business. Anthony Jr., the only son of Anthony Sr., and Robert, the youngest son of Salvatore, joined the business.

In 1989, Salvatore died at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer. Anthony Jr. had left the company while Anthony Sr. and Robert continued to work together up until November 1996. It was at that time that Robert purchased the business from his uncle. Anthony Sr. died in March 2001 at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer. The trucks bearing the name Anthony Augliera, Inc are still on the road to date and highly recognized by many. With the assistance of his dedicated staff, Robert is very committed to upholding the family traditions. He is like his grandfather in many ways and holds the highest respect for him as a man of honor and integrity. For this reason, the company name and logo have been preserved to honor the original company his grandfather started so many years ago.

There have been some bumps in the road over the years, as with any business, but Robert, with the support of his wife Paula and children Carolyn and Salvatore II, has managed to keep the company moving in a positive direction. Theatrical hauling is a large part of this business, serving New York City and the surrounding areas to this day. This fourth-generation business continues to thrive because of the reliable, dedicated, and honest reputation that the company was built upon. Robert is honoring his grandfather, father, and uncle every day the trucks leave the yard.

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History provided courtesy of Lucille Augliera-DiVerniero