James C. Pagni

PAGNI, JAMES C. James Pagni, born in Mercy Hospital on May 8, 1943, has gone on to join his parents, Chet and Marguerite Pagni. Jim accomplished so much in his brief time and touched many, many lives in his beloved San Diego. Jim grew up in Kensington, on Middlesex Dr. and attended St. Didacus Church and Grammar School, where he received his First Holy Communion, Confirmation and many years later, married there. He began his entrepreneurial career at a very young age, by mowing lawns in the neighborhood, and working at the gas station on the corner of Marlborough and Hilldale. He would occasionally cross the street, and purchase a lb. of ground round for .50 cents from Ray's Meat Market to take home for dinner. He graduated from Hoover High in 1961, joined the National Guard, then transferred to Reg. Army, where he spent 2 years active duty, and 2 years in the reserves. During his Reserve Duty, he attended City College, became President of his Alpha Delta Fraternity, and began his promotional career which would span more than a decade! He first started the Teen Dances featuring Sandi & the Classics (formerly the Accents) and eventually formed his own band called the Executives. Jim held the dances at the old USD Gym, Plaza Hall at the Community Concourse and the War Memorial Bldg. in Balboa Park, and charged $1.25! Lew Fay's Nomads were also performing at the Fayton Bldg. in the same time period. Jim's promotional capabilities led him to start booking the talents of James Brown, Johnny Mathis, Glenn Yarborough, Seals & Crofts in the Civic Theater and the Sports Arena, and Russ Auditorium! His "Jim Pagni Presents" brought Janis Joplin (who would only book thru JP) Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, America, The Doors, Ike & Tina Turner, at a charge of $7.50 for festival seating. And thru it all, not one altercation or fight! On Jan. 8, 1971, Jim married Sandi Shaw, daughter of Joseph and Eleanor Shaw, and their union produced Jasan Pagni in April 1972, and Chad Joseph Pagni, in 1975. They were married for 26 years. Realizing that his concert business was too demanding, Jim changed his focus in about 1974, and developed "Cullpeppers" restaurants, and took over the lease at Navajo Canyon Golf Course. It was well noted that Cullpeppers had the best prime rib in town. Ultimately, there were 3 restaurants in which to find Jim's famous "BAPAR" the 1st at Navajo Canyon, C-2 on Fifth Ave. and C-3 on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. It was close to another decade, before Jim got his real estate license and went to work for Lauer, Lauer, Penn & Associates in Old Town. He then applied for his Broker's License, and created Jim Pagni Co. in which he became "THE" Business Broker for buying and selling restaurants. During his short lifetime, Jim contributed a lot to his San Diego Community. He was the ultimate fund raiser for UNICO, (a National Italian-American organization), very active in Nice Guys, Inc. (non-profit organization for SD's community) and very much the humanitarian with animals! The Final Jim Pagni Production will be held at St. Therese Catholic Church at 11 a.m., followed by a celebration of his life at Carlton Oaks. Donations would be deeply appreciated by UNICO, Nice Guys, and San Diego Humane Society. Please sign the guest book at obituaries.uniontrib.com