Vincente L. Massera



Vincente L. Massera, Leslie R. Whittington holding daughter, John G. Massera
Salinas, California, Circa 1932



Saluti a tutti! My first post is dedicated to the memory of Vincente Lawrence Massera, a Swiss-Italian and my maternal great-grandfather.  As a child, I remember helping him collect eggs from the chicken coop in his backyard.  Much to my surprise, I would occasionally find a glass egg. He said putting glass eggs in the hen’s nests helped them lay eggs.  I remember thinking how odd that was.  Then there was that strange way he ate peas with his knife. He always shared his favorite macaroon cookies though. These are the bits and pieces I remember.  

As I got older, I grew more curious about my great-grandfather’s past.  Rena Massera Wall, my maternal grandmother used to tell me stories about her father and family.  I still have the pages of handwritten notes from our telephone conversations.  In 2000, I took those notes to the Family History Center in San Diego, California and began hunting for records.  I wanted to see what historical records I could find.  One of the docents patiently explained how to get started looking for records. I was thrilled to I find my great-grandfather’s 1910 U.S. Census records that day. You’d have thought I won the lottery.  The following is a timeline of the bits and pieces of my great-grandfather’s life that I have gathered so far.

"Pa," as we fondly called him was born on 19 July 1870 in Gerra Verzasca, a small village in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.  I have not yet discovered his parent’s names. His brother Geremia was born in 1871.[1]  I believe he also had a sister, but this has not been confirmed.   

In the fall of 1888, Pa traveled over 700 miles from Switzerland to La Havre, France where he boarded the ship, La Normandie. He was one of approximately 336 passengers and crew. Of those passengers, 46 sailed in first class, 24 in second class, and 264 in steerage.  Guess where Pa spent the trip? If you guessed steerage, you would be right.  The La Normandie docked in New York on 11 December 1888.[2]  According to my grandmother, Pa finished the last leg of his journey to San Francisco by train. She said he wore a nametag on his jacket because he could not speak English. 

In 1891, Pa’s brother Geremia immigrated to the United States.[3]  Pa was naturalized in 1896.[4]  I don’t have those records yet!  But I’ve been working on getting them.  If they still exist, either the Monterey County Historical Society or the Monterey Superior Courts has them. 

In 1900, Pa lived with Joe and Annie Vosti in Gonzales, Monterey County, California.  He was 29 years old, single and made his living as a buttermaker.[5]  Geremia was a boarder at Joseph Bianchi’s residence in the Castroville Township, Monterey County, California.  He was 28 years old, single and made his living as a milker.[6] 

In 1903, Geremia was 29.  He married Nellie Olive Lyons, a resident of Castroville.  She was 19 years old.  Father Edward P. Griffith married them on July 22,1903 in Salinas, California.  Pa was one of the witnesses at his brother’s wedding.[7]

On 27 July 1906, John G. Massera was born.[8]  Geremia died sometime in 1906 or 1907. He is buried in the Massera Family Plot at the Old Calvary Cemetery.  Pa married his brother’s widow, Nellie in 1907.[9]  I haven’t been able to locate a marriage certificate yet.  According to my grandmother, Nellie’s mother Oniska Harris Lyons never spoke to her again after she married Pa.   

In 1910, Pa was 39 years old and made his living as a bartender. He resided at 336 Soledad Street in Salinas, California with his wife Nellie, and son John. They had been married 3 years.[10]  During this time period, my grandmother said he owned and operated the Buckhorn Saloon at 219-221 Main Street in downtown Salinas. His IRS-License for Bar dated August 18, 1919 was framed and hung in my grandmother’s home for many years. The prohibition from 16 January 1920 through 5 December 1933 probably hurt his business. I have heard some interesting stories about alleged bootlegging activities.  I haven’t found any records to prove or disprove these stories. 

On 27 October 1912, Pa and Nellie celebrated the birth of their daughter, Rena Louise Massera.[11] 

In 1920, Pa was 49 years old and made his living as a manager of a cigar store. He resided at 336 Soledad, in Salinas, California with his wife, Nellie, and children, John and Rena. [12]   

According to my grandmother, Nellie died in 1925 or 1926.  I haven’t been able to locate a death certificate through the Monterey County Records Office or the California Department of Public Health.  Nellie was buried next to Geremia and Edward in the Massera Family Plot at the Old Calvary Cemetery in Salinas, California. I have no idea who Edward was, but I will find out.   

In 1930, Pa was 59 years old and widowed. He made his living as a farmer growing lettuce and beans.  He resided at 324 Soledad Street in Salinas, California with his stepson John and daughter Rena.[13]

Sometime in 1929 or 1930, Pa became a father-in-law.  Rena married Richard Whittington in California.  I have not located their marriage certificate yet. In 1931, Pa became a grandfather with the birth of my mother. 

In 1934, Pa became a father-in-law again with the marriage of John to Marian Brynes. 

In September 1951, my mother married Vernon L. Costa[14] at St. Mary of the Nativity Church in Salinas, California. In April 1953, Pa became a great-grandfather with the birth of my older brother.  One year later, I was born. 

Eight years later, on 7 September 1962 Pa died at the Immaculate Heart Hospital in Salinas, California.[15]  He was 92.  He was buried in the Massera Family Plot at the Old Calvary Cemetery in Salinas, California. 

[1] “1900 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for V. [Messera] Massera, [b.] 1870, Gonzales, Monterey County, California.

[2] “New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” digital image, Ancestry.com, manifest, La Normandie, Le Havre, France to New York, arriving 11 December 1888, p. 4, Vincenzo [Marsera] Massera.

[3] “1900 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for Jerry [Messena] Massera, [b.] 1871, Castroville Township, Monterey County, California.

[4] “1920 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for Vincente Massera, [b.1870] Salinas, Monterey County, California.

[5] “1900 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for V. [Messera] Massera, [b.] 1870, Gonzales, Monterey County, California.

[6] “1900 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for Jerry [Messena] Massera, [b.] 1871, Castroville Township, Monterey County, California.

[7] Certificate of Marriage, Gerry Massera to Nellie Olive Lyons, 21 July 1903, Monterey County, California. County Recorder's Office, Salinas, California. Certified copy in possession of Teresa Fraser, Dublin, California.

[8] Certificate of Birth for John G. Massera, 27 July 1906, Monterey County, California, County Recorder’s Office, Salinas, California. Certified copy in possession of Teresa Fraser, Dublin, California.

[9] “1910 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for [Vencent] Vincent [Messena] Massera, [b.] 1870, Salinas, Monterey County, California.

[10] “1910 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for [Vencent] Vincent [Messena] Massera, [b.] 1870, Salinas, Monterey County, California.

[11] Delayed Registration of Birth for Rena Louise Massera, 27 October 1912, Monterey County, California, County Recorder’s Office, Salinas, California. Certified copy in possession of Teresa Fraser, Dublin, California.

[12] “1920 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for Vincenti Massera, [b.] 1870, Salinas, Monterey County, California.

[13] “1920 U.S. Census,” Ancestry.com database entry for Vincent Massera, [b.] 1870, Salinas, Monterey County, California. 

[14] Social Security Death Index for Vernon Louis Costa, 13 December 2007, Linden, San Joaquin County, California. 

[15] Certificate of Death for Vincenzo L. Massera, 7 September 1962, Monterey County, California, County Recorder’s Office, Salinas, California. Certified copy in possession of Teresa Fraser, Dublin, California.

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