L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D ear Readers, opera Season, after a long s h u t d o w n , opened recently in San Francisco with Puccini's Tosca, to a fully vaccinated and masked audience of two thousand. T h i s w a s t h e S . F . Opera's 99th season, but w i t h o u t m y f r i e n d J o e B r u c i a ' s f a t h e r a n d h i s friends, back in 1922, the S . F . O p e r a s e a s o n s m a y h a v e b e e n s l o w g e t t i n g started. San Francisco's Operatic "Storia Segreta" r e a c h e d a b e l a t e d b u t beautiful finale in 2003 when at a spectacular civic ceremony and luncheon in t h e m a j e s t i c S . F . W a r M e m o r i a l O p e r a a n d L o b b y , a b e a u t i f u l l y sculpted, three-foot-tall b r o n z e p l a q u e w a s installed and unveiled for all to see. The plaque honors the m e m o r y a n d v i s i o n o f t w e l v e o r i g i n a l I t a l i a n - American Founders of San F r a n c i s c o O p e r a . F e w r e a l i z e i t i s I t a l i a n A m e r i c a n O p e r a l o v e r s , m o s t l y c r a b - f i s h e r m e n l i v i n g i n e a r l y S a n Francisco, they owe a debt of gratitude, for the first f i n a n c i n g o f a G r a n d O p e r a H o u s e i n S a n Francisco, as per dreams spun by Gaetano Merola. Official, rewritten San F r a n c i s c o G r a n d O p e r a " F i r s t S e a s o n " h i s t o r y , begins September 26th, 1923 but the late Louise Dana (1904-2000), who served as unpaid secretary t o t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o O p e r a C o m p a n y d u r i n g the early years, had other recollections. L o u i s e ( S t r a d i ) D a n a , w a s b o r n i n P o n t a s s e r c h i o , ( a l i t t l e town near Pisa) the first c h i l d o f G i u l i o a n d Mariettta Stradi. Hearing that the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 created many work opportunities, h e r f a t h e r , a m u s i c i a n , sailed from Genoa, Italy, and arrived in New York in 1907. Unable to speak English, his first job upon arrival in San Francisco was washing dishes for the l u m b e r c a m p s a t F o r t B r a g g , w h i c h s u p p l i e d w o o d t o r e b u i l d h o m e s a n d b u s i n e s s e s i n S a n Francisco. In a few years, her father saved enough money to buy passage for Louise and her mother to America, where the family w o r k e d i n t h e p r o d u c e market. T h e p r o d u c e b u s i n e s s agreed with Giulio Stradi a n d b y 1 9 2 0 h e h a d b e c o m e f i n a n c i a l l y successful. He had many f r i e n d s , a m o n g t h e m Gaetano and Rosa Merola f r o m N a p o l i , w h o w e r e f r e q u e n t g u e s t s a t t h e Stradi home. Mr. Merola o f t e n p l a y e d t h e p i a n o , and after dinner everyone would discuss opera and music. A regular topic of conversation was the idea of "bringing opera to San Francisco." E s t a b l i s h i n g a n e w opera company was a huge undertaking. At 16 Louise, at Mr. Merola's request, became his secretary, and as the only employee of the S a n F r a n c i s c o O p e r a Company. T h e s u p p o r t o f t h e founders enabled Merola to stage performances of P a g l i a c c i , C a r m e n , a n d Faust on June 3, 7, and 10, 1922, at Stanford. These were an artistic success, but a financial disaster . Mr. Merola had to ask Mr. Stradi and his friends for additional money to cover the losses. By 1923, thanks to the artistic success showcased at the Stanford Stadium in 1922, Gaetano Merola met t h e B a y A r e a ' s m o n i e d folks, from the Alexanders to the Zellerbacks, with the F l e i s h h a k e r s a n d Goldsteins in between. In fact, except A.P. Giannini, there was not one Italian surname listed among the 4 5 s p o n s o r s o f t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o G r a n d O p e r a "First Season" at the San F r a n c i s c o E x p o s i t i o n A u d i t o r i u m , S e p t e m b e r 26, 1923 program. After the "First Season" opened with Puccini's La Bohème, Gaetano Merola never l ooked back, and the sacrifices of "pescatori" and produce people were forgotten until 1932. Thanks to meetings with Mayor Rossi and efforts by E t t o r e P a t r i z i , w h o r e m e m b e r e d t h e e f f o r t s a n d s a c r i f i c e s o f t h e f o u n d e r s t h a t M e r o l a Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. q u i c k l y f o r g o t , o n t h e afternoon of October 14, 1932, the day before the o f f i c i a l o p e n i n g o f t h e Opera House, there was a special reception for the u n v e i l i n g o f a commemorative plaque to honor those Italians who aided Merola in starting the San Francisco Opera Company. I n J a n u a r y 1 9 9 6 , t h e p l a q u e w a s r e m o v e d during the renovation of the Opera House. When the Opera House reopened on September 5, 1997, for a g a l a c o n c e r t , i t w a s missing and for five years a l l i n q u i r i e s a s t o t h e plaque whereabouts were met with a run-around by Opera House officials. In 2003, thanks to the p e r s i s t e n c e o f J o e Brucia, son and nephew of two of the original San Francisco Opera Company f o u n d e r s , A l e s s a n d r o B a c c a r i , a h i s t o r i a n working on a documentary about the contributions of Italian Americans to opera i n S a n F r a n c i s c o , a n d ( N . S . A . F . ) N a t i o n a l S i c i l i a n A m e r i c a n F o u n d a t i o n p r e s i d e n t Frank Bonfiglio, a large, b r o n z e r e p l a c e m e n t plaque was designed and affixed in a place of honor, o n t h e w a l l s o f t h e S a n Francisco War Memorial Opera House at 601 Van N e s s A v e . t o h o n o r t h e f o u n d e r s o f t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o O p e r a Company: T o c o m m e m o r a t e t h e f o u n d e r s o f t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o O p e r a , w h o b e l i e v e d i n G a e t a n o M e r o l a ' s d r e a m o f establishing a permanent o p e r a c o m p a n y i n S a n F r a n c i s c o . T h e i r e n t e r p r i s e , f a i t h , a n d generosity made possible the first three operas, I P a g l i a c c i , C a r m e n a n d F a u s t p e r f o r m e d a t S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y Stadium in June 1922. Giuseppe Brucia, Louise D a n a , A n t o n i o F a r i n a , James V. Frevola, Milano M i l a n i , A l f o n s o N a p o l i t a n o , A m e d e o Napolitano, Amalio Paoni, A m e d e o P a o n i , G i u l i o S t r a d i a n d G u g l i e l m o Torchia.

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