[6] The family survived the War despite an attempted occupation of their residence in Fiesole by the Nazis and the subsequent sustained bombing by the Allied forces.

[3][7][6] She was more impressed at his shoe making ability rather than meeting his celebrity clientele,[4] and inherited the business at age 19 when her father died suddenly of cancer in 1960.

[11] According to Stasia Evasuk the Ottawa Journal, she designed between 500 and 600 pairs of shoes per year by 1967 and had private clients such as Carroll Baker, Ginger Rogers and the Duchess of Windsor.

[3] She oversaw the acquisition of the Paris fashion firm Emanuel Ungaro in 1996 since her company had grown to be more robust.

[5] Ferragamo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989;[5] she continued to work through her illness for several years even though doctors thought she would only live for a few more months.

[5][12] According to The Times, she turned Salvatore Ferragammo S.p.A " from the famous but still small shoemaking workshop of her father's day into one of the leading names in the Italian luxury goods market, earning millions of dollars in exports in America and around the world".