In Italian, cricco literally means a mechanical jack of the rachet variety. The name also has an association with "the strongman" that goes back to medieval times. In Italy, a circus strongman has long been called a cricco. Anthony Quinn's character in the film, "La Strada", was identified as such. The name also appears to have been the semi-official title of a guild jurisdiction "master mason". Such men were often the physically strongest of their group and eventually became the guild master for a stonemasons' district. This is most often the case in Southern Italy. Here the name appears added to the family surname of those holding the office of master mason, and only while they were actually in the office. It is most often to be found in old documents as "di cricco" and comes after the surname. This practice appears to have stopped after the French ended the guild system in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, about 1806.
In Italian, cricco literally means a mechanical jack of the rachet variety. The name also has an association with "the strongman" that goes back to medieval times. In Italy, a circus strongman has long been called a cricco. Anthony Quinn's character in the film, "La Strada", was identified as such. The name also appears to have been the semi-official title of a guild jurisdiction "master mason". Such men were often the physically strongest of their group and eventually became the guild master for a stonemasons' district. This is most often the case in Southern Italy. Here the name appears added to the family surname of those holding the office of master mason, and only while they were actually in the office. It is most often to be found in old documents as "di cricco" and comes after the surname. This practice appears to have stopped after the French ended the guild system in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, about 1806.
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