CHICAGO — It might be hard to imagine that one of the world's most recognizable toy companies — Radio Flyer — was founded in a tiny workshop on the city's Far Northwest Side almost 100 years ago.
Seeking the American Dream, Antonio Pasin fled Italy for Chicago and created the wagon and other kids-wheel-product company inside a one-room workshop in Montclare in 1917.
"He was a craftsman who had a passion for design and quality," said Pasin's grandson, Robert Pasin, the company's current CEO. "That we're turning 100 years old is really a testament to my grandfather and what he built."
Justin Breen talks about 100 years of Radio Flyer.
To celebrate its upcoming centennial anniversary, Radio Flyer, which remains in Montclare — with the world's largest wagon in front of its headquarters at 6515 W. Grand Ave. — is releasing a special film called "Taking Flight." The five-minute cartoon is inspired by Pasin, who created Radio Flyer's original red wagon. The film will be unveiled during a Facebook Live event on Saturday from 9:45 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
The company also is asking for customers and fans to share their memories on Radio Flyers by visiting its website.
Pasin said Chicago has played a key role in the company's history, not just as its home base. When it was known as Radio Steel & Manufacturing, the business was part of the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 with a giant wagon sculpture from Alfonso Iannelli.
The name changed to Radio Flyer in honor of the invention of the radio by fellow Italian Guglielmo Marconi — by the 1930s, most households had at least one radio — and Pasin's fascination with flight.
Pasin said his grandfather, who died in 1990, would have been overjoyed that Radio Flyer is turning 100. Antonio Pasin's wife, Anna, died this year at age 107. She routinely told Robert Pasin how proud his grandfather was of the company.
Pasin said Radio Flyer is always looking to expand its product line, developing items that have wheels and are fun for children. He's excited to read people's stories from their time on Radio Flyers, too.
"It's the first time we're doing something like this," he said. "One of the things in the future we're thinking about is more storytelling about people's experiences with a Radio Flyer."
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