L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D e a r r e a d e r s , t h e r e a s o n Coca-Cola and not green tea i s c o n s u m e d i n c o p i o u s q u a n t i t i e s b y today's youth in Japan is a story with an Italian con- nection, namely Francis G r a g n a n i , a n I t a l i a n - American born in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the latter part of World War II, he was assigned as an Army A i r C o r p s C a p t a i n t o t h e 10th Air Force in the China, B r u m a , I n d i a T h e a t e r o f Operations to fight a coun- try where he was later to spend 27 years of his life. At the end of the war, he returned to his original sales p o s i t i o n w i t h t h e C o c a - Cola Bottling Company of Rhode Island. He soon discovered that his appetite had been whetted for the Far East so he applied for a position with the Coca-Cola Export Corporation for a foreign assignment in Asia and was accepted in April 1947. After a few months training, he left the United States for Japan. For the n e x t s e v e r a l y e a r s , h e served in capacities ranging from plant manager to sales manager to r egional vice president for Japan, Korea, a n d O k i n a w a : i n d e e d , Japan was one of the last m a j o r c o u n t r i e s i n t h e world in which Coca-Cola was not being sold. G r a g n a n i s e n s e d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y o f a l i f e t i m e a n d , a f t e r m u c h s o u l - searching, he finally decid- ed to submit his application for a bottler's agreement in M a r c h 1 9 6 2 . A f t e r a f e w months of anxious waiting, he was awarded and became the first and only Caucasian t o b e g i v e n a C o c a - C o l a franchise of the 17 that were eventually to be established throughout Japan. The ter- ritory given to him, Nagano Prefecture, an area located 1 5 0 m i l e s n o r t h w e s t o f Tokyo, consisted of 8,000 square miles, 2 million peo- ple, and was situated in the m i d d l e o f J a p a n ' s m a i n island of Honshu, in an area that abounds in hot springs a n d m o u n t a i n c l i m b i n g areas. The climate being dry and because of the many e x c e l l e n t s k i g r o u n d s , Nagano Prefecture is often called the Switzerland of Japan. *** I n 1 9 5 4 , h e m a r r i e d C h a r l o t t e B a l d w i n o f Lanham, Maryland, whom he met in Tokyo while she w a s e m p l o y e d b y t h e U S occupation forces. The next several years, technical and m a r k e t i n g p r e s e n t a t i o n s were made by the Japanese g o v e r n m e n t b y t h e C o c a - Cola Export Corporation for permission to sell without restrictions. These efforts culminated in final approval in October 1961. Japan had finally become a new world territory for Coca-Cola. Over a period of 12 years, Grag- nani's dream materialized i n t o t h e b u i l d i n g o f t w o major bottling plants, the establishment of 11 branch w a r e h o u s e s , a n d t h e e m p l o y m e n t o f a p p r o x i - mately 400 Japanese, with the annual sales in excess of $13 million. In his opera- tions, he enjoyed the posi- t i o n o f C h a i r m a n o f t h e B o a r d , P r e s i d e n t , a n d Majority Stockholder. *** Gragnani was fortunate to be in the right place at the r i g h t t i m e a n d h a d t h e opportunity to share with others Coca-Cola bottlers the initial development and growth of this new industry. This, of course, could only be accomplished through the use of money, bricks, c e m e n t , a d v e r t i s i n g , machinery, trucks, and old- fashioned work and sweat. B u t t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t i n g r e d i e n t w a s J a p a n ' s r e s o u r c e f u l p e o p l e . T h e t r e m e n d o u s g r o w t h o f Japanese economy was due in large measure to the fact that since the end of World War II, the United States had maintained a military umbrella over the land, in 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. a c c o r d a n c e w i t h o u r d e f e n s e t r e a t y , t h e r e b y enabling the Japanese peo- ple to devote their time and e n e r g i e s m a i n l y t o t h e rebuilding of their indus- tries, which had been devas- tated by war. *** In August 1974, Francis Gragnani concluded his 27 years in Japan. He sold his equity and his company to the Coca-Cola Export Cor- poration of Atlanta, Geor- gia, and left Japan, a coun- t r y w h e r e h e c a m e a s a stranger and left as a friend. Upon Gragnani's return to the USA in 1974, he became involved with the promo- tion of mutual understand- ing and goodwill between t h e p e o p l e o f t h e U n i t e d States and Japan. *** T o k y o i s w h e r e G r a g - nani lived for 27 years. It is an exciting metropolis at the crossroads of Asia, a city of 12 million people. Here, among the skyscrapers and t h e f r e e w a y s , a r e t h e renowned bullet trains trav- eling up to speeds of 130 mph, which span the rice f i e l d s a c r o s s t h e n a t i o n . J a p a n e s e r a i l r o a d s a r e a model of efficiency: if your train is scheduled to depart at 12.47 and you board one at 12.47 and 10 seconds, you a r e o n t h e w r o n g t r a i n . M o v i n g n o r t h w e s t f r o m Tokyo to the Japanese Alps, where his plants were locat- ed and from where he com- muted weekly by train for over 12 years, he could look into the heart of the Japan- e s e A l p s , w h e r e h e h a d lived.

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