Our Roots

Lee Display Established in 1902 Roots Story Page and History

Lee Display is a family owned visual merchandising and display business established in 1902!

 

At Lee Display, our legacy spans over a century of craftsmanship, innovation, and family tradition. Founded in 1902 by Antonino Latino in Manhattan, the company began as a millinery business specializing in handmade velvet and silk flowers for the fashionable hats of the time.

 

In the 1920s, Antonino passed the business to his son, Anthony Latino Sr., who ran it alongside his wife, Armida Latino, while raising their six children. After Anthony Sr.’s untimely passing, Armida took the helm, making Lee Display one of the first women-owned and operated businesses in the United States. Her leadership ensured the company’s success until their youngest son, Anthony Latino Jr., took over upon graduating high school.


By the 1950s, Lee Display had found its niche in holiday décor, providing iconic stores like Bloomingdale’s with snowflakes, garlands, and Christmas flowers for their famous displays. In 1990, Anthony Jr.’s son, Mark Latino, moved the business to San Francisco, where we continue to help customers create unforgettable displays and holiday magic.

 

Click the link here to find out more about What is Visual Merchandising.

 

From our family to yours, thank you for being part of the Lee Display story!



Who We've Worked With


Hill Family Estate


Barneys, Belk’s, Benefit, Bergdorf Goodman’s, Bloomingdales, Bob Marche, Britches of Georgetown, Bullocks, Caesars Palace, DFS, Electronic Arts, Express, Filenes, Foleys, Fremont Bank, Gump’s, Jamba Juice, Jordan Marsh, Knott’s Berry Farm, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom’s, Parisians, Pebble Beach Company, Pottery Barn, Robinsons-May Company, Saks, Sofitel Hotel, The Gap, Warner Brothers, Williams & Sonoma

Click the link here to see our entire Portfolio.





Who We Are



CEO Mark Latino, President and Owner of Lee DisplayMark Latino, CEO

Mark joined Lee Display 40 years ago in New York. He became CEO in 1990. Shortly thereafter and with the help of his father, made the big decision to move the company to San Francisco to better serve the substantial growth of Macy’s west coast locations. With Mark at the helm, the company now works with over 150 Macy's locations nationwide. Mark also propelled Lee Display into new ventures including online merchandising and expansion of its base-business from Christmas decorations to specialty seasonal decorations.

James Latino

James Latino

Like his father, Mark, and grandfather, Anthony, James has worked at Lee Display since boyhood. After completing his college degree and working in the tech industry for the better part of a decade, James joined Lee Display full-time as the Director of Business Development in 2015. And like previous generations of Latinos, James brings a new spirit of innovation to the Company.

Juan

Jaun Gonzalez

Over the past decade, Juan has had a hand in every product that's been created and built by Lee Display.  Juan's craftsmanship and technical precision in all aspects of his field have elevated Lee Display's products and separated us from our competitors.  Since 2022, Juan has been named Head of Engineering and Product Design at Lee Display. With a wide variety of expertise, Juan manages the production and fabrication of all aluminum and steel products, custom displays and holiday decor, painting and finishing, and our refurbishing and repair services.

 

rick silva lead carpenter employee at lee display manufacturing potting tablesRichard Silva

Rick is the Head of Carpentry at Lee Display.  Since joining the team in 2017, Rick has been our lead carpenter creating a higher standard of production practices and streamlining our manufacturing processes for better and less-expensive products for our customers.  Rick has been integral to the development of our Potting Table; from product design and launch to manufacturing and shipping.  Rick continues to improve our woodworking and craftsmanship on the floor level.

Anthony

Anthony Latino

Born in 1929 in Brooklyn NY, Anthony grew up working with his family at Lee Display in New York City. Due to his father's early passing at the early age of 18, Anthony took the helm of the family business where he transformed Lee Display establishing strong relationships and providing custom display and visual merchandising solutions for the leading department stores including Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Bonwit-Teller and many more. He successfully grew the company for more than 45 years and remained active in the business even after he passed the torch to his oldest son, Mark.