My thoughts

My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal youth interwoven with rugs. Almost 20 years ago I landed in Turkey and began importing Oriental Rugs. I always like to tell this story of how I first got involved in the business. After having spent the better part of two months traveling extensively in Turkey and studying rugs I called my bank manager to ask if she could wire me money. She seemed skeptical and said “I’ll try but I can’t make any promises”. So I called home and my mother answered the phone. She’s hard of hearing and she asked me where I was, and I told her “ Turkey. She replied with concern “what are you doing there?” and I said I was trying to purchase rugs. She said “what?” I repeated “rugs”. She said "drugs?...just get home your father’s sick” and she hung up the phone.

In the end I did receive the money, my father was okay, and I went home with my first shipment of 27 rugs. I’d been bitten by the rug bug.

So for the better part of ten years I went back and forth to Turkey importing and selling rugs at my shop “Casuccio’s Carpets” at the Harbor Front Antique Market in Toronto. It was exciting and enlightened.

For anyone involved in the business knows how hard it is to find the good old rugs today.

This dying art form is quickly dissipating and I thank God I was fortunate enough to have been able to experience this age old industry first hand before it went away.