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.