Gallo family
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Wine production |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Founder | Ernest Gallo, Julio Gallo |
| Headquarters | Modesto, California , United States |
Area served | California, United States, Export markets |
Key people | Ernest Gallo (co-founder), Julio Gallo (co-founder) |
| Products | Wine |
| Website | www |
The Gallo family holds a distinguished place in the American wine industry. The family patriarch, Giuseppe "Joseph" Gallo, Sr., originally from Fossano, Italy, immigrated to the United States and began cultivating grapes before founding a winery. His life ended tragically in a murder-suicide.[1][2]
Brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo launched E. & J. Gallo Winery, which has grown to become the leading exporter of California wines. Julio concentrated on overseeing production, while Ernest managed the sales operations.[3] Their youngest sibling, Joseph, established Joseph Gallo Farms, focusing on ranching and cheese production. During the 1980s, Ernest and Julio initiated legal action against Joseph concerning the use of the Gallo name for his cheese products, resulting in a successful lawsuit.[3]
Julio
Julio Gallo (March 21, 1910 – May 2, 1993) was a co-founder of E & J Gallo Winery alongside his brother Ernest. He was married to Aileen Gallo (1913–1999) and died at age 83 in an automobile accident, leaving behind an estimated personal wealth of $300 million.[1][3]
Ernest
Ernest Gallo (March 18, 1909 – March 6, 2007) co-founded E & J Gallo Winery and was listed as number 297 on the 2006 Forbes 400 billionaire rankings.
After their parents passed away, Ernest and Julio raised their younger brother Joseph with their wives Amelia (1910–1993) and Aileen. The 1986 legal dispute over the Gallo surname caused lasting tensions within the family.
Ernest was married to Amelia Franzia Gallo for sixty-two years; they had two sons: David (deceased 1997) and Joseph. He passed away in Modesto, California, just shy of his 98th birthday. His brother Joseph died only weeks prior at age eighty-seven.
Ernest appeared on PBS's Frontline in the series So you want to buy a president?[4] He is famously quoted about the wine industry as saying:
"We don't want most of the business. We want it all."[5]
Joseph
Joseph Edward Gallo (September 11, 1919 – February 17, 2007) was a notable California rancher who founded one of the world's largest family-owned dairy enterprises, Joseph Gallo Farms. The company manufactures various dairy products including cheeses and is currently under the leadership of his son, CEO Michael Gallo. Joseph was the younger sibling of Ernest and Julio, founders of E & J Gallo Winery. After a lawsuit brought by his brothers, he was prohibited from using the Gallo name on his cheese products, which were subsequently sold under the brand Joseph Farms.
See also
External links
Additional resources
- Bruce Henderson, alongside Ernest and Julio Gallo, Ernest & Julio: Our Story, Times Books, 1994
- Ernest Gallo, accessed March 6, 2007
- #645 Ernest Gallo
- Ernest Gallo
- John Holland, J.N. Sbranti, Tim Moran, and Garth Stapley. "Wine industry leader Ernest Gallo passes away at 97." The Modesto Bee, March 7, 2007. [1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtastes - ↑ Los Angeles Times 1993-02-28
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlatimes crash - ↑ "Ernest Gallo | FRONTLINE". PBS.
- ↑ "History of e. & J. Gallo Winery – FundingUniverse".