[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF JOHN STAGNARO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2004

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Giovanni ``John'' 
Stagnaro, a patriarch within the Italian community of Santa Cruz who 
passed away this past March at the age of 90. Founder of the immensely 
popular and successful fishing business Stagnaro Brothers, John's 
legacy as a hard-working and dedicated entrepreneur has made his family 
name a staple in Santa Cruz County. John is survived by his wife of 67 
years, Mamie Stagnaro; their three daughters: Teresa Tera, Jeanie 
McPherson, and Carol Tuttle; his eight grandchildren and thirteen 
great-grandchildren.
  Born in the tiny Italian coastal village of Riva Trigoso, John's life 
was an archetype of the American Dream. Via Ellis Island, John 
immigrated to the United States at the age of five, and quickly settled 
in Santa Cruz. In 1937, after saving several hundred dollars, John 
purchased part of a fishing company on the Santa Cruz Wharf--and the 
rest is history. Working alongside his brother, John's fish market and 
restaurant quickly became a staple of the Wharf. Today, Stagnaro 
Brothers is the last open-air fish market on the wharf.
  John was a devout Catholic and an active member of the Holy Cross 
Catholic Church in Santa Cruz. He was also an avid participant in many 
community-based social organizations including the Sons of Italy, the 
Santa Cruz Elks Lodge, the Marconi Club, and the Italian Catholic 
Federation. John will surely be missed by his family and the community 
as a whole, but his business and his name will be a legacy that will 
last for generations to come.

                          ____________________