PASETTA’S FROM GOLDMINERS TO HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS

 

By Adam S. Eterovich

                                                                                             

The Pasetta Clan is from Sali near Zadar and Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia. The name is Paseta with a small “v” accent mark above the s which is pronounced Pahshetta. The first Pasetta was found in San Francisco in 1860 as a sailor. He probably was in the goldfields in the 1850’s and later is a sheep herder in Los Angeles. Pasetta’s had hotels, orchards, fruit processors and a number of them were goldminers.

 

Pasetta Pioneers

 

The below listed pioneers represent a 150 year spread in California and in the year 2000 there are probably several hundred of this Clan. They were members of the pioneer Slavonian Benevolent Society of San Jose, California.

 

NAME                          YEAR     OCCUPATION     LOCATION          ORIGIN

 

PASETTA, ANNIE         1900      Wife                     Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, ANTONIO    1910      Dishwasher         San Francisco      Dubrovnik

PASETTA, J                 1880      Goldminer           Plumas                Dubrovnik

PASETTA, JOHN          1921      Society                 Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, KATIE         1900      Wife                     Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1906      Society                 Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MARTY        1990      Film Production   Hollywood            Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1882      Goldminer           Plumas                Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1889      Hotel                    Johnsonville        Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1900      Farm                    Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1896      Hotel                    Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MATEO       1884      Goldminer           Sierra                  Dubrovnik

PASETTA, NICHOLAS  1880      Sheepherder        Los Angeles         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, NICHOLAS  1860      Mariner                San Francisco      Dubrovnik

PASETTA, NICHOLAS  1896      Fruit                    Santa Clara         Dubrovnik

PASETTA, VINCENZO  1888      Goldminer           Plumas                Dubrovnik

PASETTA, W                1880      Goldminer           Plumas                Dubrovnik

 

Families

 

NAME                                YEAR         PROFESSION BORN

 

PASETTA, MATEO             1922           Fruit Dealer     Dubrovnik

PASETTA, ANNIE               1922           Wife                 Dubrovnik

PASETTA, ANNA                1922           Daughter         California

PASETTA, ELIZABETH      1922           Daughter         California

PASETTA, MADELINE       1922           Daughter         California

PASETTA, MARIAN            1922           Daughter         California

PASETTA, DANIEL            1922           Son                  California

PASETTA, JOHN               1922           Son                  California

PASETTA, MATHEW          1922           Son                  California

PASETTA, NICHOLAS       1922           Son                  California

PASETTA, PETER              1922           Son                  California

 

PASETTA, NICHOLAS       1900           Fruit Dealer     Dubrovnik

PASETTA, KATIE               1900           Wife                 Dubrovnik

PASETTA, MARGARET      1900           Daughter         California

PASETTA, MARCO            1900           Son                  California

PASETTA, KATHERINE     1900           Daughter         California

 

 

MARTY PASETTA

Hollywood Producer-Director

 

Marty, a TV producer and director, worked with almost every major star in show business.  He directed the Academy Awards. He attended the University of Santa Clara and became a stage manager at KGO-TV, eventually becoming executive producer during his 16 years of employment there.  He worked on the original Smothers Brothers series, “Steve ‘n Eydie”, and Sinatra’s “Ole Blue Eyes is Back”.  Marty won a local Emmy for a nightly 2-hour variety show in Santa Clara.  He donated his skills to Father Keiser Paulist Productions and Golden Circle Theatre at Santa Clara University.  He was married to Elise and had three children, Debby, Marty, Jr., and Greg.

 

MATEO PASETTA

Farmer-Fruit Packing-Hotel-Goldminer

 

Among the business men of Santa Clara County who represent the country’s industrial and financial progress Mateo J. Pasetta occupies a prominent position in the fruit-drying industry.  Enterprising, far-sighted, he is ever alive to the possible favorable opportunities for advancing his plans.  A native of Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia,  he was born January 20, 1865, a son of John and Madeline (Cusija) Pasetta.  When but a lad of five years he suffered the misfortune of losing father, mother, grandmother, brother and sister, all within the space of a year.  He was then adopted by his uncle, Mr. Kjunac, a well-to-do merchant and trader, who owned a number of sailing vessels plying the Mediterranean Sea.  Mateo J. Pasetta remained with his uncle until he was seventeen years of age; he then determined to start out for himself. 

Hearing the alluring tales of wealth and opportunity to be found in America, he embarked for the Mecca of his ambitions.  After a voyage of forty-five days, he finally landed on the shores of America and made his way to California, arriving April 5, 1883, settling in Plumas County, where he was  first employed in the mines at a wage of fifteen dollars per month, working fourteen hours per day at placer mining for gold.  When the Eureka Gold Mining Company began operations, Mr. Pasetta was employed and received forty dollars per month.  here he remained for five years, and by thrift and economy was able to purchase the Eureka Hotel and livery stable in Johnsville.  At the hotel Mr.. Samuel Webb, present attorney-general of California, boarded with him, and he also knew Judge Doonwin and Judge Clough, who were his friends.  While residing in Plumas County, he received his naturalization papers and became a loyal citizen of the United States.

The marriage of Mr. Pasetta in 1896 united him with Miss Annie Buhalov, also born in Dalmatia, Croatia, who was an old-time sweetheart.  Coming to California, soon after here arrival here their marriage occurred, the happy culmination of the romance that begun on their native shores.  Mr. and Mrs. Pasetta are parents of nine children.  Madeline, the wife of John Simmons, a successful merchant of San Jose; Marian, John , Anna, Peter, Matthew, Elizabeth, Nicholas, and Daniel. 

Mr. Pasetta moved to San Jose and started, in a small way, in the dried fruit business, starting with 150 trays.  From year to year the business has been steadily growing, and he now handles 5,000 drying trays, and during the busy fruit season cares for 400 tons of green fruit.  His Packing plant consists of seventeen acres, adjoining the property of the Pacific Manufacturing Company, adjacent to the city of Santa Clara, which is growing more valuable each day.  His fruit drying business has not occupied his whole attention, as he found time to develop a fifty-acre orchard property, which he recently sold for a fine profit. 

The family reside in a commodious residence at 196 West St. James Street, San Jose, where many friends frequently enjoy their hospitality. Mr. Pasetta still owns the old homestead in Dalmatia, around which cling fond memories of days long past, and refuses to dispose of it.  Fraternally he has been identified with the Odd Fellows for the past twenty-five years, and politically is a stanch Republican.  He is an ardent member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.  He is 100 per cent American, ever ready to give of his time, influence, and means toward any advanced movement of the city and county which has been his home for so many years, and has won the respect and esteem of his business associates by his integrity and upright business methods.  He is a stockholder in the Growers American Benefit Society, giving his best efforts to the upbuilding and advancement of this order.