91-Year-Old Cobbler Vincenzo DiRado Retiring After 80 Years Of Repairing Shoes

By Mike Sullivan, CBS Boston

September 1, 2023

BRAINTREE - After spending nearly 80 years as a cobbler, a Braintree craftsman is hanging up his apron. He believes he's one of the few remaining tradesmen in a dying profession.

Vincenzo DiRado is 91 years old. He came to the United States in 1966 after his family fled their home in Italy during World War II. For months they hid with another family in the countryside. Shortly after that, he took up cobbling in 1944.

When he moved to the area, he opened a store in East Milton. For the last 13 years, he has been working out of a shop in Braintree. A few years ago, he broke his hip, and it has begun to impede his ability to work. He is also stepping aside to take care of his wife who is beginning to lose her memory.

Cobbler Vincenzo DiRado and his wife/CBS Boston

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