Fremantle potter Gigi Cosi died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday, a day before his 51st birthday.

Mr Cosi and his wife Cate ran La Maiolica gallery in James Street, which introduced Mediterranean pottery to WA back in the 1990s. The highly decorative pottery became synonymous with Fremantle.

Ms Cosi says her husband’s death has shocked everyone: He was fit, regularly visited the gym, ran half-marathons and was careful about what he ate.

But Ms Cosi says there had been an amazing response from the Fremantle community, many of whom have dropped by the gallery with their stories about the genial potter, who had been toying with the idea of setting up his own cafe because of his love for coffee.

“If anyone else has great stories about him, I would love to hear them, as he loved a good story and was often part of a good story,” Ms Cosi says.

The couple arrived in Fremantle in 1990 to attend a family wedding and instantly fell in love with the city, which reminded Mr Cosi of his close-knit village back in Italy.

“We always said there was nowhere else in Perth we would have lived,” Ms Cosi says.

They’d discovered no-one was producing Mediterranean pottery, which was perfect for Perth’s climate, so they decided to set up business.

Their big break came immediately; their very first order was to make plates for Nunzio Gumina’s popular restaurant downstairs at Old Papa’s on the cappuccino strip. The plates were so popular Mr Gumina started selling them to tourists and La Maiolica’s place in Freo folklore was set.

by STEVE GRANT