Tony Cuzzocrea (born 1942 or 1943) is an Italian-Canadian financial advisor, the founder of Planmar Financial Corp and Planmar Foundation, a co-founder of Love First, and the biggest individual financial supporter of

The United People of Canada The United People of Canada (also known as TUPOC and TUPC) is a Canadian not-for-profit organisation, based in London, Ontario. TUPOC started the process of buying Saint Brigid's Church in the Lower Town neighbourhood of Ottawa in July 2022, ...

Early life and education

Cuzzocrea was born in in Italy to poor parents. At the age of ten years his parents relocated his family, including his three siblings, to Canada. In Canada, his father worked as a street sweeper. Cuzzocrea's first job was shining shoes at the age of eleven years; as a child he also worked in a bowling alley and had summer jobs picking tobacco in

Mount Brydges Strathroy-Caradoc is a municipality located in Southwestern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is west of London, Ontario, London. Strathroy-Caradoc is a primarily rural municipality. Industries include turkey (bird), turkey and chicken h ...

and working for his father doing residential renovations. He studied production management at

Ryerson Polytechnic University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, although it also operates facilities elsewhere in Toro ...

Career and philanthropy

After graduation Cuzzocrea worked at

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, but was laid off after three months. After fourth months studying and getting accreditation, he started a fifteen years stint as an employee in the financial industry before launching his own firm, Planmar Financial Corp. He founded the Planmar Foundation around 1998 and co-founded the ''Love First'' group in 2016. As of 2022 he rented offices former St. Peter's School on Clarence Street, London, Ontario. Cuzzocrea is the largest single financial supporter of

not for profit organisation which tried to buy Saint Brigid’s Church in Ottawa in 2022.

Personal life

Cuzzocrea has four children (Peter, Lisa, Ann, and Mary) and, as of 2013, has nine grandchildren. He was a friend of Arpad Horvath, who was killed by serial-killer nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer in 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuzzocrea, Tony 1940s births Italian emigrants to Canada Canadian financial businesspeople Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Organization founders