Ernest Gallo
Ernest J. Gallo | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 18, 1909 Jackson, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2007 (aged 97) Modesto, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Co-founder of E & J Gallo Winery |
| Spouse | Amelia Franzia (m. 1931; died 1993) |
| Children | 2, including Joseph Ernest Gallo |
Ernest J. Gallo (March 18, 1909 – March 6, 2007) was a prominent American entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known as the co-founder of the E & J Gallo Winery located in Modesto, California.
Early life
Gallo was born in Jackson, California into a family deeply entrenched in the wine industry. His grandparents had immigrated from Italy, and his father, Giuseppe Gallo (also known as Joseph Edward Gallo Sr), managed a wine distribution business alongside his uncle Michael. On his mother's side, the Bianco family were also involved in winemaking. Initially, Gallo’s father ran a boarding house and saloon but transitioned to grape farming after Prohibition led to the saloon’s closure.
During the 1920s, the family acquired multiple farms across California, including locations near Modesto, Keyes, and Escalon, primarily supplying grapes to markets in Chicago. Ernest spent his youth working on these vineyards with his brothers, Julio Gallo (1910–1993) and Joseph Edward Gallo, Jr. (1919–2007).
In 1933, tragedy impacted the family when Gallo’s father took the lives of his mother and himself. Ernest completed his education at Modesto High School before embarking on a path that would lead to the establishment of a significant American wine enterprise.
Education
Gallo enrolled at Modesto Junior College but did not complete his degree.
Career
At age 17 in 1926, Ernest assisted his father with grape harvesting and arranging rail shipments to Chicago. By 18, he had begun selling grapes in Chicago himself. During one of his trips back to California, he encountered Giuseppe Franzia.
Following the repeal of Prohibition and shortly after losing his parents in 1933, Ernest co-established E.&J. Gallo Winery with a loan of $5,900 obtained from his mother-in-law. He took charge of sales, marketing strategies, and distribution operations.
Philanthropy
In 1955, Ernest founded The Ernest Gallo Foundation through which he made substantial contributions: $800,000 was donated to the University of Notre Dame, $600,000 to Stanford University, and in 2008 he gave $3.835 million to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. Additionally, in 1980 he financed and founded the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center situated in Emeryville, California, affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco.
Awards
- Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement (1989)
- Lifetime Achievement Award from Wine Enthusiast Magazine (2003)
Personal life
Ernest married Amelia Franzia in 1931; she passed away in 1993. The couple had two sons: David Gallo (deceased 1997) and Joseph Ernest Gallo, who serves as CEO of E&J Gallo Winery.
In 2006, Forbes ranked him 297th on their list of billionaires with an estimated net worth of approximately US$1.2 billion.
Ernest J. Gallo passed away on March 6, 2007, in Modesto, California, just days before turning 98 years old. He was laid to rest at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery.