Peter Mattioli

1931 - 2025

Peter Paul Mattioli passed away at his home in Santa Rosa, CA, on November 7, 2025, due to complications of lymphoma. He was born on June 20, 1931, in Peckville, PA to coal miner, Pietro Mattioli, who immigrated to the US from Sassoferrato, Italy, and Elena Furiosi Mattioli, whose family was from the Umbrian region of Italy.
The family moved to the North Beach area of San Francisco when Pete was 11 years old. Pete attended Garfield Elementary, Francisco Junior High and Galileo High School. He joined the Navy in 1952 and was stationed at various bases in Northern California before being transferred to Guam. He served there for eighteen months as a lifeguard for the military base on Tumon Bay, which he said were some of the best years of his life.
After receiving an honorable discharge, he rejoined his family in Selma, CA, where his father had purchased a vineyard. He found living in Selma simply too boring for this city boy who returned to San Francisco and took a job at Hamm's Brewery. After that he worked as a bartender at Trader Vic's and the Iron Horse in the City. In 1958, he became a partner with Gino DelPrete at the Condor, a neighborhood bar at Columbus and Broadway. They expanded the club in 1962, adding a stage and hiring local rock and roll groups and other live entertainment. He hired Carol Doda as a waitress in 1963. She went on to become the first topless dancer in San Francisco and now the Condor is known as the world's most famous topless nightclub. Pete also was a partner in Del Vecchio's Restaurant, Roland's Restaurant and Sneaky Pete's restaurant and other nightclubs all located in San Francisco.
Pete met his wife, Benita on Waikiki Beach in 1970 and they were married in 1981. She moved from New York to San Francisco in 1972 and joined Pete in his many business endeavors. Theirs was truly an amazing love story, a bond which lasted 55 years. Benita often said that he treated her with utmost respect and always "let me be me."
In 1973, Pete purchased a quarter horse named Cal Bar, who was already a champion working cow horse. He believed Cal Bar could be a champion cutting horse and the horse proved him right as he won the PCCHA Open Cutting competition as well as the PCCHA Novice division in 1974. Pete served on the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Assn. Board of Directors for many years as well as the National Cutting Horse Board of Directors.
Pete sold all his business interests in San Francisco and moved to Santa Rosa in 1974 where he purchased property on Petaluma Hill Road to build a horse breeding and training facility. He called it the Double Bar M Ranch. He faced a steep learning curve while transitioning from city life to country life but took to it with ease. He picked up skills with the hammer, drill and paint brush quickly. He loved driving his tractor around the ranch and meeting new people in the horse industry.
In 1976, Pete was anxious to reenter the nightclub business, so he purchased the Music Box restaurant and nightclub on Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa. Offering live music entertainment for two years, the club eventually became the hottest club in town offering disco music beginning in 1978. The club was a regular hangout of the Oakland Raiders while they were in training camp at the El Rancho Motel. Pete became good friends with many of the Raiders players, Ted Hendricks, Kenny Stabler, John Matuzak, Dave Casper and Lester Hayes, as well as coaches Tom Flores and Sam Bogosian. Pete was also a partner with Benita in a teen club on Mendocino Avenue called the Fourthstreet Annex from 1978 to 1980.
Pete hosted countless BBQs and fabulous dinners at his home and became known for his delicious pasta sauces and homemade red wine. He learned the art of ravioli making from his mother, starting from scratch and closing each ravioli with a fork. Guests at the ranch loved hearing Pete's wild stories of his fast times in North Beach. Pete had a great sense of humor, was generous to a fault and was always the life of any party.
Cal Bar passed in 1990, and the ranch diversified taking in boarders and offering English and Western training and riding lessons. The ranch eventually grew to be one of the largest and most successful ranches in the county. Pete was honored as one of the founders of the Sonoma County Horse Council and received the prestigious Equus Hall of Fame Award from the Council. He also received the 2013 Award of Excellence in the Horse Industry from the Sonoma County Fair Board. The ranch name was changed to Hunter Lane Equestrian in 2015 and sold in 2017. Pete and Benita retired at that time and moved to Oakmont.
Pete traveled the world with Benita visiting cities throughout Europe, Asia and South America. They traveled to some of the most interesting places including the Korean Demilitarized Zone and East Berlin when it was still controlled by Russia. He spoke fluent Italian and cherished his trips to Italy where he felt a strong connection to his heritage.
Pete is preceded in death by his father, Pietro, and mother, Elena Mattioli. He is survived by his wife, Benita Mattioli, Santa Rosa, CA, daughter, Amy Withington (Rik), Emmett, ID, and grandson, Takoda Withington, Santa Rosa. He is also survived by his sister, Elaine Loosigian, Fresno, CA, nieces Cheryl Mattioli, Willits, CA, Cyndi Hill, Kingsburg, CA, and nephew Greg Loosigian (Kim), Fresno, CA. In 2018 Benita published a memoir of her husband's life titled, "Three Nights at the Condor." Jonathan Parker Films produced a documentary titled "Topless at the Condor", which featured interviews with Pete. Parker Films also plans a movie series partially based on the book.
Pete was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. At Pete's request, services will be private aboard a yacht as his ashes are scattered beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The family would like to thank all his doctors from the Providence Memorial Group and Providence with Compassus Hospice for their outstanding services and support. If desired, donations can be made to Providence with Compassus.