Maccagno Francis Jr.
was the third and last son born to Francesco and Giovanna Gastaldi
Maccagno.
At the young age of three years left his home country and immigrated
with his family in the U.S..
Like all young men, Frank Macagno (as it was called at that time), was a
typical boy of the province.
He had many tasks to be performed in house hotel of the parents, and
collection of wood for the fire, run right and left to execute the
orders of his mother.
He was also a lot of free time to play with his friends.
In those days, Hanford attracted many new immigrants from the "New
World", and Frank learned so some 'Spanish and Portuguese as the
language of his new homeland, the English.
Frank went to school and obtained Handford 's 8th grade education at the
age of 15 years, in 1928.
Thus came the time for Frank to find a job, but in those days was very
difficult to find one.
So Frank went to live with her sister Catherine and her husband Dominic
(Dick) who only had a farm in the countryside.
Frank over there learned the trade of the farmer.
After a few years, Frank decided to move into the city of San Francisco
in search of work.
Soon he found work at a popular Italian restaurant called "Lucca's
Restaurant."
There He learned to make the waiter.
Frank knew in this restaurant a person who was a great friend for life,
Francis (Frankie) Campedel.
Frankie's family was also home to Piedmont, but he was born in Salt Lake
City, Utah.
Frankie's mother had a friend of his hometown Monteleghe (TO) who lived
in Los Angeles.
The Rose Cagna friend and her husband Rocco Buscaglia, had two sons and
two lovely daughters.
In 1940 Frankie Campedel brought his friend Frank at a party in Los
Angeles to present the family Buscaglia.
On this occasion Frank met the eldest daughter, Margaret (Margie) of
which fell early.
Frank then began to attend to court and made several trips over the
weekend from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back (for a distance of
about 550 km each time).
In October 1940 they were married in the San Gabriel Mission in San
Gabriel, California.
Since Margie did not want to leave his family, the couple moved to Los
Angels.
There was also here, in fact, another restaurant chain of "Lucca's
Restaurant", and so Frank could still work as a waiter.
In September of 1942 their daughter was born while the second Joan
Gilbert was born in October 1948.
During the Second World War, Frank left the employment of maids to work
in industries Todd Shipyards in Long Beach, California.
Here he was a welder and helped to assemble the pieces of the big
warships. |