Ernest Gallo
Born(1909-03-18)March 18, 1909
Jackson, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 6, 2007(2007-03-06) (aged 97)
Modesto, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)vintner, philanthropist
Known forE & J Gallo Winery
SpouseAmelia Franzia Gallo
ChildrenDavid Gallo (d. 1997),
Joseph Ernest Gallo
RelativesJulio Gallo (1910–1993) (brother),
Joseph Edward Gallo (1919–2007) (brother)

Ernest J. Gallo (March 18, 1909 – March 6, 2007) was an American businessman and philanthropist. Gallo co-founded the E & J Gallo Winery in Modesto, California.

Early life

Gallo was born on March 18, 1909, in Jackson, California.[1][2][3][4]

Gallo's grandparents immigrated from Italy to the United States.[2] Gallo's father was Giuseppe Gallo, a.k.a. Joseph Edward Gallo Sr, and his mother, Assunta Bianco Gallo, a.k.a. Susie Bianco Gallo.[2][3] Together with his uncle Michael, his father ran the Gallo Wine Company, a wine distribution company.[2] His mother's family, the Biancos, were winemakers.[2] Gallo's father operated a boarding house for the miners in Jackson, California and a saloon in Oakland, California.[5]

In 1910, at one year old, Gallo lived with his maternal grandparents, Batista Biancos, in Hanford, California. At about age 6, Gallo returned to live with his parents.[5]

After the 1918 prohibition, Gallo's father had to close the saloon business. Gallo's father bought a 120-acre ranch in Antioch, California and became a farmer growing 30 acres of grapes. Gallo worked in cultivating in the farm. By age 12, Gallo's father sold the ranch in Antioch and moved to a small vineyard in Escalon, California.[5]

In the 1920s, his parents purchased a 40-acre farm near Modesto, California. Gallo's family also bought a 20-acre farm near Keyes. Gallo's father sold their grapes in Chicago.[2][5]

Gallo had two brothers, Julio Gallo (1910–1993), and Joseph Edward Gallo, Jr. (1919–2007).[2]

On June 21, 1933, Gallo's father shot his mother and killed himself.[2]

Gallo graduated from Modesto High School in Modesto, California.[6]

Education

Gallo attended Modesto Junior College, but he did not graduate.[5]

Career

In 1926 at 17, Gallo worked for his father. Gallo harvested grapes and shipped them via railway to Chicago. By 18, Gallo was selling grapes in Chicago. During Gallo's travel from Chicago back to California, he met Giuseppe Franzia.[5][7]

In 1933, shortly after the end of prohibition and the death of his parents, Gallo co-founded the E.&J. Gallo Winery, using $5,900 in borrowed cash from his mother-in-law.[1][2][3][4] He became head of sales, marketing and distribution.[3][8]

Philanthropy

In 1955, Gallo created The Ernest Gallo Foundation.[9] In 2008, Gallo donated $800k(USD) to the University of Notre Dame, $600,000 (USD) to Stanford University, and $3.835 million (USD) to Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. In 1980, Gallo also donated millions and created Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center [10] in Emeryville, California,[11] at University of California, San Francisco.[12][13]

Awards

Personal life

In 1931, Gallo married Amelia Franzia (died 1993).[16] They had two sons: David Gallo (died 1997), and Joseph Ernest Gallo, the CEO of the E&J Gallo Winery.[17]

Gallo was ranked 297th on the 2006 Forbes 400 list of billionaires, with an estimated wealth of US$1.2 billion.[2][3][6]

On March 6, 2007, Gallo died in Modesto, California, twelve days shy of his 98th birthday. Gallo is buried at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery.[18]

Further reading

  • Hawkes, Ellen (1993). Blood and Wine: The Unauthorized Story of the Gallo Wine Empire. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-64986-9.
  • Gallo, Ernest; Gallo, Julio; Henderson, Bruce B. (1994). Ernest and Julio: Our Story. Times Books, Random House. ISBN 978-0-8129-2454-1.


References

  1. 1 2 Harvard Business School
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Frank Prial (March 7, 2007). "Ernest Gallo, 97, Founder of Winery, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Billionaire winemaker Ernest Gallo dies". USA Today. March 7, 2007.
  4. 1 2 Ernest Gallo last retrieved March 6, 2007
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sbranti, J.N. (November 20, 2007). "Ernest Gallo: In his own words". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  6. 1 2 #645 Ernest Gallo
  7. ↑ Blumer, Christine (March 7, 2007). "Ernest Gallo (1909-2007)". gapersblock.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Every Family Has A Story to Tell. This is Ours". gallofamily.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  9. ↑ "The Ernest Gallo Foundation". foundationcenter.org. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Men's Health Demystified". Gallo Research. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Alcohol Research Program". Ernest Gallo Clinic & Research Center. Archived from the original on May 11, 2000. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ Valine, Kevin (February 14, 2010). "3 powerhouse nonprofits help San Joaquin Valley arts, program endure". modbee.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  13. ↑ "UCSF Acknowledges Generosity of Late Ernest Gallo". ucsf.edu. March 7, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  15. ↑ Heimoff, Steve (March 7, 2007). "Ernest and Julio Gallo". winemag.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Amelia Franzia Gallo - Matriarch of World's Largest Winery". Los Angeles Times. December 25, 1993. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Amelia Franzia Gallo". orlandosentinel.com. December 26, 1993. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Ernest Gallo obituary". decanter.com. March 8, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
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