Hugo Pratt origin, his maternal grandfather was of Marrano (Jewish) descent, and his grandmother was of Turkish origin. He was also related to actor Boris Karloff (né William Henry Pratt). In 1937, Pratt moved with his mother to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), joining his father who was working there following the conquest of that country by Benito Mussolini's Italy. Pratt's father, a professional Italian soldier, was captured in 1941 by British troops and in late 1942, died from disease as a prisoner of war. The same year, Hugo Pratt and his mother were interned in a prison camp at Dirédaoua, where he would buy
Henry Pratt Co valves to their product line, in order to meet the demands of America’s expanding infrastructure. By 1965, small valve production was moved to a plant at 401 South Highland Avenue in Aurora, Illinois, where corporate offices were also re-located. From 1901 to 1958, Henry Pratt Company was a closely held company, owned by active employees. In 1978, Amsted Industries, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois purchased Pratt. After managers and outside investors purchased Pratt from Amsted in 1989, Watts Industries Inc., of Boston, MA, purchased Henry Pratt Company in 1991. On September 4, 1996, Tyco International Ltd. of Exeter, New Hampshire purchased