Son Rise Woodwork by Soprano owner Peter Soprano is now using his craft to help people incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola.
"They tell me you know all their life all they did was rob and steal,” Soprano said. “Now that they’re in prison they had to learn a trade and learned a trade so they’ve learned this trade and they love it as much as I do.”
Soprano said his personal connection to the craftsmen in the prison comes from rebelling as a teen.
“It’s good to go there and talk to these guys,” Soprano said. “I was a troubled youth you know I could’ve wound up in Angola myself. By the time I was seventeen I was in a rehabilitation center and got my life straight. And here I am I’m a product of teen challenge you know?”
Soprano was granted permission by the warden last week to deliver lumber to the prison. For the past 40 years, Soprano has worked as a woodworker with many of his lumber coming from Southwestern Louisiana and the Atchafalaya Basin. For most of his woodworking career, he’s made custom pieces for houses such as cabinets and furniture, and currently has three woodworking shops that he works out of on the outskirts of Franklin. In March he opened his woodwork storefront on Main Street after saying he’s “retired."
“They approached us and said that we could start doing that,” Soprano said. “I have to send them my list of what supplies I have, and I can deliver twice a month, but they also want me to deliver the glue and screws, and nails and things of that nature.”
Soprano said the idea of becoming a supplier came to him years ago when he attended the Angola rodeo and was so impressed with how passionate the imprisoned craftsmen were.
“They have these huge craft shows every year that the prisoners make all this furniture, and beautiful things,” Soprano said. “But there’s a need for them for lumber.”
When Soprano heard they needed supplies he offered to help. He sells some of their artwork like paintings, woodwork and leatherwork in his store.
“I have a lot of their stuff in my shop now,” Soprano said. “I’ve been featuring their stuff in my shops since I bought the store in March. And they’re real excited about that because some of them don’t have money and things and I’ll be able to trade lumber for items that they make and then the next time they can sell their items that I bought the lumber for and make money and they could buy from me in the future.”
Soprano is looking forward to what's next.
“I’m not overwhelmed but I’m really happy and actually kind of scared because it’s a big deal for me, you know? Soprano said. “And you have to produce. Those guys they're hungry, they want their wood!”
Nearly 40 years ago, Soprano started writing his thoughts on a piece of wood that he’s now seeing come true.
“As I go through life and grow up and stuff, I write on things, so I wrote years ago ‘out of necessity came work which is the easiest way man has invented to kill boredom.”
Soprano’s shop is located at 621 Main Street in Franklin. There he also sells custom pieces from vintage timber- some over hundreds of years old. There you can find pieces such as dining tables, benches, spoons, furniture, crafts, etc.
