Angelo Mariani

Born Ange-François Mariani in Corsica in 1838, he later built his career in France as a chemist and businessman. He is chiefly known for creating Vin Mariani, a coca-leaf wine introduced in the 1860s, which became widely famous in Europe and the United States.

Mariani was more than an inventor of a single product. He proved remarkably skilled at promotion, gathering testimonials from writers, artists, public figures, and even religious leaders, and helping to shape the modern idea of celebrity endorsement. That mix of chemistry, branding, and showmanship made his name unusually visible for his time.

He died in 1914, but his reputation has lasted because Vin Mariani became one of the best-known patent tonics of its era. Today he is remembered as an inventive and controversial figure whose work captures the ambitions and oddities of turn-of-the-century medicine and commerce.