Joseph Gallo

Joseph Gallo, who passed away in the desert last year at age ninety-nine, enjoyed three separate careers—one as a young textile worker in Berks County, Penn., another in the employ of the Nation during World War II, the third as the owner of successful restaurants in Southern California. Born to Carmella and Domenico Gallo in Tauranova, Italy, in February of 1909, he emigrated with his family to America in 1915. The family moved at first to Brooklyn, then to Nyack, N.Y., and later settled permanently in Temple, Penn., where Joe attended the public schools. As a tall fourteen-year-old, he left school to apply for a job at Textile Machine Works in Wyomissing, Penn. The plant supervisor, Alvin Brombach, saw potentiality in the tall youngster, and for five years Gallo worked as a needle-straightener in the division of the company that produced high-quality women's hosiery. In 1930, the company sent Gallo and his friend and fellow worker, James German, to Kenosha, Wis., to assemble the big machines that produced women's full-fashion hosiery. There Gallo met Mary Pingitore, his wife-to-be. They were married in Kenosha in April of 1931, just in time to greet the Great Depression. In 1933, Textile Machine Works sent Mr. Gallo and Mr. German to the deep South to assemble the big knitting machines for the hosiery industry in New Orleans, enabling them to earn much-needed money at a time when most young men were out of work and on relief. During World War II, Mr. Gallo worked in defense plants in Pennsylvania and in Wisconsin. Later during the war, he moved his family to California, where he worked for Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo. He concluded his defense work at Kaiser Steel in Fontana, where he was employed until the war ended in late 1945. In 1946, Gallo and a partner opened a small Italian restaurant in San Bernardino, where he learned the trade. After moving the family to Norwalk, he and his wife Mary started a successful restaurant which they operated together for five years with the help of their son Ronald. Mr. Gallo's next restaurant, in Chino, was equally successful, with his youngest son Roger pitching-in. His last restaurant was in Palm Desert. Mr. Gallo and his wife Mary retired to Palm Desert, where Mary passed away in 1998. Mr. Gallo is survived by a younger sister, Rose Perrotti of Temple, Penn., and his youngest brother, Charles Gallo of Ransomville, N.Y.; his sons, Joseph Jr. of San Jose, Calif., Ronald of Atascadero, Calif., and Roger of Panama City, Panama. He leaves three grandchildren, Autumn Lively, Lisa Rosare, and Paul Gallo; six great-grandchildren, Eden and Talisa Munoz, Dean and Natalie Rosare, Ariel Lively, and Gabriella Gallo. Joseph Gallo rests alongside his wife Mary in Coachella Valley Cemetery. To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: mydesert.com/obituaries