I had a Masi on order from a bike shop in Colorado in 1973. For various reasons (not financial), the order fell through, and I bought a brand new Mondia Special instead.
I saved like a demon for the Masi, and for the Mondia, which, in Honolulu at that time, was not much cheaper than the Masi would have been. I think the Mondia ran about $450 from my LBS, and the Masi was going to be about $650 shipped.
A lot of money back then, but I had part-time jobs, and spent almost nothing...saving for that bike.
So, while I didn't actually get to have a Masi then, as it turned out, I could have..just circumstance prevented it.
Charles Andrews
SoCal