Candido Jacuzzi never intended to transform his surname into a worldwide brand, nor did he envision creating a business that would both bring fortune to his family and nearly tear them apart. His sole objective was to alleviate the physical pain his son endured in any way possible.
The Jacuzzi, now renowned and adored worldwide as a vessel of bubbling water, has evolved into a staple for backyard socializing, an essential item for yachts, hotels, chalets, spring break parties, and cruise liners. However, its technology was initially designed with only one person in mind: Kenneth Jacuzzi, a young boy suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis following a severe case of strep throat.
This empire has its roots firmly planted in family ties, with seven brothers at its core. Candido, being the seventh brother, witnessed the inception of this business long before his son’s diagnosis in 1943, which acted as a catalyst for the Jacuzzi legacy.
The Jacuzzi family was a prominent clan residing in Casarsa, a farming commune in Northern Italy, at the turn of the 20th century. The siblings grew up in this hilltop community surrounded by vineyards, engaging in work from an early age, often donning wooden shoes for their daily tasks and keeping handmade slippers solely for Mass.
Despite encountering financial hardships, the family found strength in their deeply religious parents, Teresa and Giovanni. Giovanni worked as a carpenter, while Teresa dedicated herself to homemaking. Coming from a lineage of farmers and dock workers, the couple not only raised seven sons but also six daughters. The children’s names in order were Rachele, Valeriano, Francesco, Giuseppe, Gelindo, Giocondo, Felicità, Angelina, Ancilla, Candido, Cirilla, Stella, and Gilia. With a passion for knowledge, the boys pursued engineering careers, while the girls trained as seamstresses.
As Europe underwent significant changes and war loomed on the horizon, Giovanni devised a plan to send his sons to the United States. Each brother sought work wherever employment was available, leading some to rural Idaho and others to sun-kissed California, eventually paving the way for the entire family to settle there.
“They dug ditches, built railroads, did everything they could to make a buck and send it back to Italy, and try to get the rest of the family over,” said Paulo Jacuzzi, the 54-year-old grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi, the second oldest amongst the thirteen siblings and the first to immigrate to America.
This migration occurred gradually between 1907 and 1920, with the sisters joining in the second wave. The brothers, equipped with limited English proficiency, initially toiled in California’s orange groves. However, they eventually united their mechanical engineering backgrounds and established a machine shop named Jacuzzi Brothers Incorporated in Berkeley in 1915.
After facing a period of stagnation due to debts accumulated from the loss of an expensive airplane, the brothers shifted their focus to agriculture. They began developing irrigation systems for orchards and designed a range of deep-well injector pumps. They later sold their patents to large corporations in exchange for royalty deals and ventured into manufacturing swimming pool supplies.
The transition to water-related products positioned them perfectly to explore hydrotherapy when Candido’s 15-month-old son fell ill in 1943. Doctors delivered a grim prognosis, uncertain of his potential survival beyond the age of 8. The once-active and healthy child was now facing a life of declining mobility and dependence. Devastated, Candido and his wife Inez pursued various interventions, including a full-body cast and the “gold treatment” involving gold salt injections into the body. However, it was the introduction to hydrotherapy through the Hubbard tank at Herrick Hospital in Berkeley that granted them a glimmer of hope. The Hubbard tank, an oval vessel with a wooden bench, utilized swirling water to relieve stiffness and enhance flexibility. The immediate positive impact on the boy’s well-being led them to make twice-weekly visits. Unfortunately, the hour-long commute proved tiresome for Inez and agonizing for Ken, who suffered immense pain throughout the journey. Inez discussed her dilemma with Candido, urging him to create a similar setup at home. And that’s precisely what they did.
Candido designed a pump, known as the J-300, which replicated the swirling warm water of the Hubbard tank and could be attached to a bathtub. However, Ken could stretch his entire body out in the newly designed setup, unlike the upright position demanded by the Hubbard tank.
Recognizing the therapeutic potential of the pump and improving its structural design, the brothers commenced sales in 1949 through bath supply shops and pharmacies. They later expanded their focus to the commercial market in the mid-1950s. An advertising campaign marketed their product as a “lightweight, portable hydromassage unit,” catering to the needs of “tired businessmen, harried housewives, golfers with muscle soreness, senior citizens with aches and pains, exuberant youngsters, and individuals seeking relaxation and indulgence in a hydromassage bath.”
Some consumers expressed concerns about mixing electrical devices with water, prompting the Jacuzzis to develop built-in technology for their bath units. The first of these units became the original whirlpool, referred to as the Roman Bath. Over time, the family acquired more than 50 patents. The early models featured multiple jet fittings mounted on walls, heaters, recirculation pump filters, skid-proof steps, and the option of a safety rail. The Jacuzzi was born.
With the addition of fiberglass panels, Jacuzzis could be molded into various shapes and sizes, leading to the creation of the Luxury Line Hydro-Therapy Pool in 1966. That same year, the Jacuzzi made its film debut in Billy Wilder’s “The Fortune Cookie,” starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
By the 1980s, Jacuzzis had gained global recognition, prompting the establishment of factories in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Italy, and the United States, with Lonoke, Arkansas serving as the central hub. Every child and grandchild of the Jacuzzi family was expected to contribute during school and college vacations, whether it meant working on assembly lines, packaging boxes, or answering phones. “There was always that sense of ‘doing it for the family,'” Paulo remarked, reflecting on the Jacuzzi family’s unity.
Having a Jacuzzi became synonymous with making a statement about oneself, particularly for straight men, exuding an air of coolness and suavity, noted Rax King, author of “Tacky” and host of the podcast “Low Culture Boil.”
As the 20th century drew to a close, having a Jacuzzi became an expected feature in even the most average hotels, chalets, and fitness clubs. Its distinctive shape graced the screens of teen dramas, 70s crime movies, and 80s soap operas. An entire movie revolved around the concept of a time-traveling hot tub. “Saturday Night Live” incorporated Jacuzzis into recurring sketches, and one of the most memorable scenes in “Scarface” showcased Al Pacino immersed in a bedroom hot tub. Most recently, the portrayal of class tension by a hot tub took center stage in the Oscar-nominated film “The Triangle of Sadness.”
However, the allure of Jacuzzis seems to have lost its shine in recent times. These once-desirable fixtures are now clouded with ambiguity. Similar to stretch limousines and refrigerators with ice dispensers, they have come to represent the aspirational lifestyle of a bygone era. Jacuzzis are no longer as sought-after as Tesla cars, the latest trendy boots, or a multitude of intangible digital innovations. Their ubiquity has diminished their status as a luxury item, with the market being flooded by similar designs, all labeled as “jacuzzis.”
Although Jacuzzis captured attention upon their initial introduction, they were not without their problems. If not regularly cleaned, hot tubs can harbor harmful microbes, mold, and waterborne illnesses such as Legionnaire’s disease. While some individuals purchased hot tubs during the pandemic to stave off boredom during quarantine, these fixtures have become less magnetic in recent decades. Perhaps their decline in popularity stems from an image problem. Once seen as exciting and novel, Jacuzzis have gradually become associated with suburban banality. In 2023, aspirational mood boards are more likely to feature cold plunges than bubbling Jacuzzis.
“The hot tub was an exotic object for the first 30 or so years of its existence. It allowed you to bring a hot spring into your home,” remarked Rax King in a phone interview, encapsulating the shifting perception of Jacuzzis.
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