[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E291-E292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING THE MARISCOTTI FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2010

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
Mariscotti family upon being honored by the Fresno Chapter of the 
California Restaurant Association with the Best of the Valley 
``Lifetime Achievement Award.'' The Mariscotti family will be honored 
on Monday, March 1, 2010 at the 2009 Best of the Valley Restaurant 
Awards at the Saroyan Theatre in Fresno, California.
  Rasmeo Mariscotti came to America in 1905 with his parents, Angelo 
and Caroline, and his sister, Louisa. Entering the United States 
through Ellis Island, the Mariscotti family made their way to Louisiana 
and worked on a sugar plantation. Once the family satisfied their debt 
to the sugar company, they boarded a train and settled in Madera, 
California where they had family and friends waiting for them.
  Upon arriving in Madera, Rasmeo began working at the Madera Sugar 
Pine Lumber Company. Later, he went to work on the Roberts Ranch, where 
he met and married Pearl Pistoresi. Eventually, Rasmeo went into 
business with his cousin, opening a butchering business in Berenda; 
they butchered the meat and peddled it to the surrounding ranches. The 
butcher business grew from a meat market, into a grocery store and 
eventually to a gas station with an open-air soda stand. Once 
Prohibition ended, the open-air soda stand was transformed into a 
restaurant and the Mariscottis obtained a beer and wine sales license.
  Rasmeo and Pearl had four children: Maybelle, Ethalae, Robert and 
Dino. With a growing family and a growing business, the Mariscottis 
were doing well. In 1947, the family hit a bump in the road when the 
State of California decided to develop Route 99 into a four-lane 
highway that cut directly through the town of Berenda. With the 
completion of the new highway, the city was gone. The Mariscottis 
decided to stay and build their next business, the Berenda Cafe.
  After their son Robert returned from serving in the military, he 
began to work for his sister, Maybelle, and her husband at the 
Chowchilla Market. In 1953, Robert married Helen Hodina and they 
returned to the Berenda Cafe. The Berenda Cafe was operated by Rasmeo 
and Pearl until 1970 when Rasmeo passed away. After that, Robert and 
Helen continued operating the restaurant. Robert and Helen added a gift 
shop and renamed it the Berenda Ranch Restaurant.
  In 1976, Highway 99 was expanded once again. With this alteration to 
the highway, the Berenda Restaurant gave way to progress. Robert and 
Helen continued the legacy of adaptation within the Mariscotti family 
and established the Vineyard Restaurant in Madera. In 1977 the Vineyard 
Restaurant opened its doors as a twenty-four hour diner, a comfort-food 
place that depended on traffic passing by on Highway 99. In 1985, Mr. 
and Mrs. Mariscotti added a bar and began to focus on lunch and dinner, 
with a priority of serving high-quality local food from local farms. 
The Vineyard Restaurant continues to operate by these principles.
  Today, their son, Chris, carries on the family legacy in foodservice, 
running the family restaurant and continuing local philanthropic 
efforts with various organizations. The family hosted the ``Giving 
Tree'' program through the Madera Christmas Basket. They are also 
involved in the Kampus Kettle program, the Madera Chamber of Commerce. 
Chris Mariscotti has co-founded the local chapter of Slow Food 
International, Slow Food Madera. The Mariscotti family has been awarded 
the Crystal Tower Award from the Madera Compact, and the Vineyard 
Restaurant has been recognized by Spectator Magazine as one of the top 
restaurants in the Central Valley's wine-growing region and was 
featured by Via Magazine as one of the highlights of a trip down 
Highway 99.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the Mariscotti family for 
their hard work, commitment to community, leadership, and their 
tradition of success in business. I invite my colleagues to join me in 
wishing the Mariscotti family many years of continued success.

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