Albert Musso

Albert Musso Albert Edward Musso was born in November 1916 in Los Angeles to Michael Angelo and Jennie Musso. Al, his brother Vincent (Vince), and sister Elizabeth (Betty) were raised by their mother who worked as a seamstress to support her three children. From the age of eight, Al immersed himself in art, drawing cartoons from comic strips. After graduating from Fairfax High School in 1934, he continued studying commercial art, which paved the way for him to earn a living doing what he loved. Al joined the Air National Guard in December of 1940 and moved to Paso Robles, Calif., for training in ground and air photography. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, he began flying over the Pacific as an aerial photographer searching for Japanese submarines. He was next stationed in San Antonio, Texas, teaching photography and was promoted to Staff Sergeant in 1942. In 1943, Al married the love of his life, Mary Giovanazzi. He proposed over the phone, then "got a 10 day furlough and we were married on April 4th 1943." Mary and Al lived together in San Antonio for 18 months until Mary returned to Los Angeles to prepare for the birth of their first daughter, Carrol. Al served at 21 different airfields in the U.S. before being honorably discharged from the military in 1945. After the war, Al founded the Musso-Clifford Advertising Art and Production Service Company. With the GI Bill, he bought their first family home in Norwalk, Calif., where they celebrated the births of daughters Barbara and Marilynne. Soon they moved to Sherman Oaks where they lived the American Dream. Al's business expanded to include educational film production in addition to commercial art. In typical understated fashion, Al described his business as being, "fairly successfulthanks to the Carnation Company, my primary account for 25 years." His children and grandchildren were delighted with this relationship as it got them into Disneyland for free including a meal at the Carnation restaurant on Main Street. Eventually, the Musso-Clifford partnership was dissolved and Al started The Musso Company Inc. in Studio City. At age 67, Al retired and with Mary at his side, embarked on a new adventure. They moved to Cayucos and became pillars of their new community. Al co-founded the Cayucos Art Association and Art Gallery in 1989. He became president of the Cayucos Lions Club, while Mary was president of the Cayucos Lioness Club. Al taught art classes to adults and created a children's summer art program, which he ran for over 25 years. His passion for art and community service led to a myriad of projects which included painting a mural of the history of Cayucos in a prominent downtown location, establishing the Lions Flag Day program in the Cayucos school, fundraising for the Cayucos Library, spearheading a project to establish a community center at the entrance to the pier marked with a sculpture of three dolphins, and painting a seemingly infinite number of signs for the Cayucos Art Association. A bench at the Cayucos pier inscribed with Al and Mary's names serves as a permanent reminder of their dedication to the home they loved. During his retirement years, Al was able to indulge fully in his passion for travel. Whether it was a voyage to the Orient or a road trip with his friends or grandchildren, Al loved it all. This was the perfect opportunity to use the traveling martini case that Al was never without. These explorations inspired an astonishing collection of paintings and drawings that now grace the homes of friends and family. His love of history and travel also inspired him to write and illustrate Gold Country Sketchbook. He was fascinated by the stories of the Gold Country and visited at least once a year, to indulge in a "Hangtown Fry." In 2005, Mary and Al moved to Morro Bay to be closer to family. In January, 2010, Al's sweetheart, Mary, passed away. Surrounded by family and friends, Al followed her on May 7, 2015. He is survived by daughters: Carrol Musso, Barbara Musso and Marilynne (Daniel) Beard; grandchildren: Jimmy, Erin, Devon, Ian, Dylan, Brendan and Kenzie; great- grandchildren: Payton, Sofia, Gianna, Lena and Eve; and sister-in-law, Elinore Bottino. A Memorial Service will be held at the Cayucos Veterans Memorial Hall on Sunday, June 14, 2015, at 12:30pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cayucos Art Association. Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries