Soon after his birth, the family moved to Palermo (Sicily), where his father opened a spice and drug store in Piazza San Giacomo La Marina.

[2][3] Vincenzo immediately set a much faster pace in the family business, considerably expanding the scope of his activities well beyond the drug and spice shop.

[1][3] Vincenzo Florio has been attributed with introducing in Sicily the system of fishing with fixed nets and its canned preparation under oil, thus increasing his trade and financial wealth.

[1][3] In 1841, along with a number of other wealthy shareholders, he acquired the Oretea foundry, founded a few months earlier near the mouth of the river Oreto by the Sgroi brothers.

Not that he was openly compromised, but his participation in the Sicilian revolution of 1848 had been lukewarm and conditioned by the concern to safeguard his assets and economic interests.

[2] Nominated as senator in 1864, he died in Palermo on 11 September 1868, leaving a patrimony of 12,000,000 lire, for almost two thirds composed by the winery in Marsala and by the interests in the shipping company.

[2][10] He had married Giulia Portalupi from Milan, from whom he had two daughters, Angelina and Giuseppa, and a son, Ignazio Florio Sr. (1838–1891), who took over the management of the business empire of the family.