Who Is Luigi anyway?

[pikipiki]

Sorry about this question but I'm new here so I don't know who Luigi is?
Who is this Luigi and why does he always get the blame?
Seems when ever there's a problem with a Guzzi it's always Luigi's fault.
I like my 2008 Guzzi and haven't found any build quality issues although I can imagine there were some issues during the low sales of 90s and before Aprilia and Piaggio were involved. I say this not through any loyalty to Aprilia or Piaggio but from what I learned from the Auto industry a few years ago.‎
 I can tell you around that time I had some involvement with a UK supplier to a very prestigious British Automobile company. Now that very prestigious British company did not make very many cars and their orders were a little less frequent and erratic than mass the market manufacturers. In times past it had been a status symbol to be a supplier to said company but not by the '90s by then it was all about volume and keeping the big contracts. Now to keep costs down this particular supplier went for cheap employees, they would take on ex-cons and long term unemployed who had tried their best to remain unemployed for the government subsidies. Now a lot of these employees did not turn out to be that good. With European employment laws the problem was how to get rid of the bad ones. This problem was conveniently solved by putting them on the said luxury brand line. Sure enough if you were put on that line sooner than later said manufacturer would phone and say we don't need any orders for 3 months. Conveniently useless employees could be made redundant.
Now time has moved on and the luxury car brand is now wholely owned by a large mass market manufacturer. The boot is now firmly on the other foot. Mess about our premium brand and you will loose the big mass market orders. The prestigious British car brand are now back where they belong at the top of thier game.‎
‎

[ITSec]

As far as I know, Luigi (in the insulting sense) first appeared in humor.

The Italians were in the trenches of WWI, opposite the Germans. Being trench warfare, it was mostly just guys poking their heads and rifles over the edge from time to time, taking a shot and ducking back down. After a while it got frustrating to both sides, and they began to try to figure out a way to make their efforts more productive. Finally, one bright German said...

"Guys, get ready - I got an idea!" Turning to the Italian lines, he shouted "Hey, Luigi!"

"Yeah?!?"came the reply.

BLAM!

With this success, the technique became widespread.

"Hey, Luigi!"

"Yeah?!?"

BLAM!

After a couple days, the Italians got fed up, and decided to try this for themselves. "What's a good German name?" they asked - "Hermann, that's it!"

"Hey, Hermann!"

"That you, Luigi?"

"Yeah!!!"

BLAM!!!

[Lannis]

Luigi, in the USA, is "Bubba".   "George" in the UK.   "Boudreau" in Louisiana.   

The guy who did it wrong.

Lannis

[Peter from Sch'dy]

I wonder how Guido got involved. Look familiar? Coincidence?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Father-Guido.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.openculture.com/2013/01/father_guido_sarducci_pitches_the_five_minute_university.html&h=300&w=300&tbnid=StEJf5LMq5R79M:&tbnh=186&tbnw=186&usg=__pzWiW1L2HsNcfzq4K_MO09UQW40=&docid=VoTkMsxCmV3mqM&itg=1Best,
Peter

[Guido Valvole]

@ cheese1 - yep! 

[jrt]

Actually, there was a fellow named Luigi Farni, that worked at Moto Guzzi.  My wife and I met him in 1996 or 7 (ish) and at that time he was docent of the museum. 
Our meeting was totally by accident- we were in Mandello, having a coffee, when I noticed a nice old 850GT.  Since he was the only person in the cafe, I complimented him on his bike in my best Italian (which is still really, really bad).  He said grazie, continued drinking his espresso and we left.  Later that day, we were visiting the museum and he remembered us, so he proceeds to ignore everyone else there (like 4 people, but still) then he personally walked us through the museum, explaining in great detail- and Italian- how each bike worked and details of the engineering.  Fortunately, motors are kind of a universal language, so we managed to converse and have a great time. 
We corresponded several times over the next couple of years- sent each other swag from rallies.  He was a sweetheart of a guy.

[oldbike54]

 Luigi has apparently struck here , the screen has gone all wide again 

Dusty

[Muzz]

Luigi put my gearbox together on a Friday afternoon after his wife gave him garlic sandwiches once too often.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I grew up near Newark NJ...Most everyone including me had an Italian last name...There were no Luigi jokes but many jokes about  "mayonnaise heads"   

[Chuck in Indiana]

Luigi wears an old timey undershirt, has a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth, occasionally has a two Grappa lunch and forgets to lube your carc and steering head bearings..
Penderic probably has a picture of him.

[brlawson]

You mean this guy?

[Sasquatch Jim]

  I remember a movie that had a character called Guido the killer pimp who unsuccessfully tried to terrorize a teen couple.

[Penderic]

Luigi wears an old timey undershirt, has a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth, occasionally has a two Grappa lunch and forgets to lube your carc and steering head bearings..
Penderic probably has a picture of him.

I gotta couple of pics that might relate...... Marios Bros dinning (Fine Art Series)

Gotta find em .... later dudes.
 

[Lannis]

  I remember a movie that had a character called Guido the killer pimp who unsuccessfully tried to terrorize a teen couple.

"Risky Business".   Not really terrorizing a teen couple, but definitely trying to stop a teen from stealing his girls .... !

Lannis

[Sasquatch Jim]

"Risky Business".   Not really terrorizing a teen couple, but definitely trying to stop a teen from stealing his girls .... !

Lannis

Oh Yeah, now I remember.

 

[pikipiki]

As far as I know, Luigi (in the insulting sense) first appeared in humor.

The Italians were in the trenches of WWI, opposite the Germans. Being trench warfare, it was mostly just guys poking their heads and rifles over the edge from time to time, taking a shot and ducking back down. After a while it got frustrating to both sides, and they began to try to figure out a way to make their efforts more productive. Finally, one bright German said...

"Guys, get ready - I got an idea!" Turning to the Italian lines, he shouted "Hey, Luigi!"

"Yeah?!?"came the reply.

BLAM!

With this success, the technique became widespread.

"Hey, Luigi!"

"Yeah?!?"

BLAM!

After a couple days, the Italians got fed up, and decided to try this for themselves. "What's a good German name?" they asked - "Hermann, that's it!"

"Hey, Hermann!"

"That you, Luigi?"

"Yeah!!!"

BLAM!!!

Darn, and I though we came up with that one.....
Hey Fritz!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uOYznh0oV7I