Vito (Leblanc)

Vito is a brand name of Leblanc, started in 1951.

Actually, the trademark for Vito cites 7/23/1958 as the first use in commerce. The place where Vito saxes were originally made is Nogales Arizona at the Best Manufacturing Co under contact. In 1959 Best Mfg. Co went bankrupt closing late that year. Conn bought the plant reopening it in January 1960. Conn ran the plant through 1962 making its own model 50M alongside the Vito model. This is all reported in the various Arizona newspapers from the time period and included in the local business directories.

In 1978 Conn again produced Vito branded saxes In Nogales, Arizona after its return in the late 1960's first under the Artley subsidiary. Then in 1971 with the opening of the first USA manufacturing plant in Nogales Mexico Conn began making saxes. The Mexico sax operation became a parts making only facility in 1978 with instrument manufacturing moving to Nogales, Arizona. This is all reported in the various Arizona newspapers, law suites between LeBlanc/Vito and Conn, and demonstrated in a registry of saxophones of the time period.