THE HISTORY OF FADA RADIOS
Frank Angelo D'Andrea (born 1888, Bronx, NY) was the creator of FADA Radios. He learned about the construction of radios working at the Frederick Pierce Co., a company that did experimental work for inventors. Soon after, D'Andrea went into business for himself, with his 16-year-old brother. Their driving ambition was to get rich. D'Andrea plan was to create crystal detectors for the radio industry. Today with this type of growth, and good business sense and proper tax deductions a company would be in good financial standing. For the name of his company he adopted his initials: F.A.D.A. With the radio boom hit in late 1921, FADA couldn't produce crystal detectors fast enough, and soon was renting space in three different places on the same street, Jerome Ave. in the Bronx. Around 1923, FADA started manufacturing radios which were well accepted by the public and experienced a rapid growth. It seems though, that D'Andrea's employer-employee relationships were very poor, and in 1926, 500 of his 600 employees went on strike. In 1927, his chief engineer, Lewis Clement, left for a better offer with another company. Soon after his second in command of the company, Dick Klein, had quarreled with D'Andrea and left also. FADA more-or-less fell apart. Its production was really small when it was sold in 1932 to a group of Boston businessmen and in 1934 FADA filed for bankruptcy. It was revived by New York interest continuing in business until the late 1940s. D'Andrea created a new radio company, Andrea Radio Corp., in 1934 and continue running it until his death at the age of 77 (1965). His business was continued by his son F.A.D. Andrea, Jr., and his daughter Camille. Fada radios are well known and desired by radio collectors because of their fabulous designs in radios, with their use of metal trims and various plastics.