Rossi is originally an Italian name, from the Vulgar Latin rous, meaning red and used as a nickname for someone with red hair or ruddy skin. Since neither characteristic is common in Italy, it was likely used to describe the Germanic peoples, particularly the Angles and Saxons, who invaded the Roman Empire during the centuries after its collapse. Rossi family history enters the books with Eustachio Russo, noted as a witness in Adelphia, Bari, in 1548. Some influential members of Rossi genealogy are Washington gubernatorial and two-time Senate nominee Dino Rossi, Tropicana Products founder Anthony Rossi, and award-winning physicist Bruno Rossi.