I have found some stark similarities in the paths taken by both Sottile and the recovery team in Italy in the mid to late 1980’s.

Sottile for years while in search of Mastino Neapolitano in Italy had heard stories of a lighter more athletic molossar. “He had never seen one but was intrigued by the possibility of it’s existence”*. Conversely the originator of the breeds recovery in Italy DR Paolo Breber found himself for work related reasons to the southern province of Foggia.
Dr. Breber received a letter from Prof. Giovanni Bonatti telling him "he has noticed in those places a molossoid dog different hair from the Neapolitan Mastiff, similar to the bullmastiff, likeness of the Presa Majorca". The letter went on to say "Prof. Ballotta, eminent dog lover, inhabitant of Romagna, had seen several examples of this ancient Pugliese breed". With Breber’s interest peeked he began the search of this Ancient "molossoid" by seeking out Foggiani who’s memories went back some 50 years. These conversations led Breber various works of art, illustrations poems and other historical documentation depicting the utilization of the breed. Though Breber was coming to understand the nature and function of the breed he had not as of yet encountered a living-breathing specimen.

As we know these passionates eventually found the breed they had heard so much about, albeit in somewhat of a rustical state. The similarities continue on, as both groups acquired their raw materials in the backwater towns and provinces of southern Italy. At the time the “breed” in dire straights as its socio-agricultural utilizations had been replaced by machinery. Only the most rural of places still utilized the breed. Sottile describes his first encounter with the breed to Kathy Flamholtz in “A celebration of Rare Breeds” "I first saw a photo of the breed, some years ago, in a dog book," says Michael Sottile, of Montgomery, Alabama. "I was intrigued. Five years ago I made a trip to Sicily. While there, I attended the wedding of a friend. On the way to the ceremony, we drove along a road in the country. I just happened to see a farmer in a field with his cows. Working among the animals were these impressive dogs. I asked my friends to stop the car and I called out to the farmer. There we stood, on the side of the road, dressed in tuxedos. We must have looked really funny," Mike laughs. "The dogs turned out to be Branchiero Sicilianos, the same dogs I'd seen in that book. I explained to the farmer that I was very much interested in these dogs and would like to purchase stock for show and breeding. 'Do you have cows?' he asked me. When I said, 'no,' he asked why I would want to breed these dogs. This is a common view," Mike says. "In Italy, this breed is thought of as a utility dog. Most farmers consider them as purely working dogs and can't imagine why else anyone would own them”.
In an interview Vito Bouno, Vito Indiveri, a very instrumental figure in the recovery of the breed in Italy states “I had a vague memory of corsi,” Indiveri tells us, “mine was a family of carters and horse merchants and my ancestors used to have them in the courtyard to guard the horses. But with the arrival of the automobile, these two activities vanished, and I found myself doing the work of a traveling salesman. I sold, and I still sell, linens, but only in the countryside, in the most remote areas. I combed all of the regions of the south, all the way to Sicily, and I pushed into Umbria, Abruzzo, and Molise. It was on a farm in Apricena (FG), owned by Michele Padula, that I found the first corso and recognized in it my grandparents’ dog.”

You may note that Sottile refers to the Cane Corso as “Sicilian Branchero”. This has been on other BB’s a hot topic of conversation, in the same article he explains “Breed names are apt to be confusing, since these dogs have been known variously as Cane Corso, Branchiero Siciliano, Cane Corso di Puglia and Mastino Corso. This has a ring of truth to me because the Cane Corso was originally recognized Internationally in 1976 by the U.C.I. (Union Cinologica Italian) as the Dogo di Puglia- the same Dogo di Puglia Sottile made mention of. It is important to note that at this time there was no written standard. The Italians drafted and had the first SACC standard completed in 1987, while Sottile completed his or the American version in 1988. Sottile’s version of the standard is remarkably similar to the old standard for the Sicilian Branchero in terms of head to muzzle ratio, parallel axis of the skull, scissor bite and the tail crop. Interestingly enough the Cane Corsos in Sicily historically had the longer tail crop (8th vertibtea), this was a form of function in their use in the hunt of the porcupine. The longer tail was a necessity to be able to pull the dog out of the porcupines burrow.
Sottile give a brief description of the dog in the afore mentioned tome by Kathy Flamholtz “The Cane Corso is a large, powerful dog. Males stand 24-28 inches at the shoulders and weigh 100-140 pounds. Females generally stand 22-27 inches and tip the scales at 80-100 pounds. The head is quite massive with a broad skull and wide, square jaw. Unlike his cousin, the Neapolitan Mastiff, the Cane Corso does not drool. When presented naturally, the Corso's ears are pendulous. However, most dogs are cropped with a short cut which forms a triangle. A good Cane Corso is a dog with massive bone. His body length is a little longer than tall. The chest is broad and deep, while the hindquarters are moderately angulated and very muscular”.
Sounds a great deal like our present day Ideal for the breed. The SACC standard was a result of a survey conducted by the respected Antonio Morsiani. It is important to note that the scissor bite was originally included in Morsiani’s standard, and that many old time’s like DR Scimon Goldman and DR Poalo Breber both feel the scissor bite is the correct bite for this breed.

Conclusion;
My main problem with Michael Sottile is that he never brought his foundation stock back to Italy to be enrolled in the ENCI open book evaluations. He obviously knew of their existence since I have a videotape of the one that took place in Empoli, -Sottile himself was the man who filmed it. Based on the video there is no question that dogs like Malucchia, Duro, Bruno and Cocomo would have been admitted into the studbook. Stefano Gandolfi himself in a letter to former ICCF President Mark Wilson comments on Bruno “quite good” and Zora “reasonable”. I realize that there would be not real reason to bring them back to Italy, the inscription would be meaningless here as at the time the breed was not Internationally recognized and ENCI papers carried no weight in this country since all registry’s are and were private with the breed not being AKC recognized. However it would have been nice to have our foundation dogs be a part of the original open book. That being said to would have been nice, but not a necessity, as American dogs have already been enrolled in the ENCI studbook.
To suppose as others have that Michael Sottile and his original foundation stock are frauds just smacks of ignorance to the facts. In a Celebration of Rare breeds” Sottile describes the recovery in Italy, as it is unfolding, cooberating with the SACC literature that Mr. Gandolfi sent to the ICCF years later. He mentions old-timers such as Ettore Frasinette, -President of SACC Tuscany delegation and Molossian historian Giovanni Bonetti. Not to mention photos of him with Umberto Leone. Sottile was also recognized as the US delegate for the Cane Corso by SACC, would they award such a prestigious title to a man who made Cane Corsos in his back yard as some have claimed? There is proof that he held this position.
“IL Cane Corso” written by Giuseppe Chiecchi and Giorgio Gualtieri -1st Edition names him as such in the back of the book, some have disputed this on other BB’s as the authors taking license that they should not have and that Sottile was never appointed to this post. I have a copy of a letter written to the ICCF by then SACC President Stefano Gandolfi stating “the only relationship we had was with Michael Sottile” and later goes one to state “we gave him the responsibility to establish a Cane Corso club”. It is obvious that Sottile was involved with the people in Italy that would give him access to the breed, he was in on the ground floor of the recovery of the breed. HE WAS THERE, IN ITALY, HE HAD ACCESS TO THESE DOGS! He followed their discovery, to recovery, to prosperity. To deny these facts is to not see the forest from the trees.


*ICCF newsletter December 1997 - “Interview with Linda Sannino of Diamond S Kennels”.
Linda S was the owner of original of CH. Malucchia of the original Sottile imports.
She was one of the Sottiles closest family friends and met with Sottile the night he
brought this first litter of Corsi to America.