Area outlined was destroyed by fires
which were started after the
1906 Earthquake

This novel aerial perspective drew world attention. Flown two thousand feet above the bay, the lens scanned the waterfront. Beyond are A) the Call Building, B) Twin Peaks, C) City Hall, D) the Union Ferry Building, E) the Fairmont Hotel, F) the Appraiser's Warehouse enclave, G) Russian Hill, H) the Golden Gate, I) Telegraph Hill.
G. R. Lawrence, 1906. Library of Congress.

1906 was the year of the earthquake. The hotel was completely destroyed. So Victorio took his wife and three boys and moved them to a ranch in Pleasanton, which he had just leased to grow grapes to make wine for the hotel.

After the family was settled, he returned to San Francisco to rebuild his hotel. He financed the reconstruction by borrowing money from friends, without signed notes, and paid every single one back! When the hotel was rebuilt, he moved his family back into two rooms of the hotel. Victorio was the bartender, goodwill and PR man; Louisa was cook for 22 boarders and sometimes fed as many as 250 at one seating. The three boys worked as waiters, busboys, and bartenders.

Jack recalled polishing all the mirror, brass cuspidors, and brass foot rest every Saturday for 50 cents!

Prohibition in 1918 forced Victorio out of the hotel business. He retired and lived next door at 1654 Grand Ave. The saloon on the corner was converted into a grocery store by Victor. He was assisted by his younger brother, Jack, who helped on the weekends and after school.

Victorio became ill with pleurisy in 1925. He smoked 20 to 30 cigars a day. He died in 1933.

In early 1933, the hotel was remodeled into apartments and were owned by the Traverso's until sold in 1977.

Bill graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco and then went to St. Iganatius College. He worked for Randolf V. Whiting Reports law firm and attended Hastings Law School at night. He passed the bar exam on the first try. He was Chief Yeoman in the navy in 1915 and then went into the reserves. He became a judge advocate for the Navy in Vallejo. When he got out of the service he opened his own office at 21 Columbus Ave. in San Francisco. He was very successful. He later moved his office to 550 Montgomery Street.

In 1943 he was appointed by Governor Warren to the municipal court of San Francisco. He was the first Italian appointed to the municipal court. In 1945 he was elevated to superior court and he retired in 1965.

Victor went into the retail grocery business. Jack helped out with the bookkeeping while he was still in high school. Jack encouraged Victor to go into the wholesale grocery business. Jack gave up college to help out. In December 1922, they were doing $3, 000 per month at 506 Washington Street. They were there for two years then moved to 443 Washington Street. Later, they moved again to bigger quarters and were there for 10 years. In 1944 they were forced out of their warehouse due to the war and under Victor's encouragement, the three brothers bought the building at 1050 Battery Street.

Traverso Archive

After Victor's death, Jack took over complete operation in 1958. In 1964, based on advise from his doctor, Jack retired from the wholesale grocery business. At that time the business was doing $5 million a year. The business was liquidated. The building was converted into office space at $1.8 million; 36,000 square feet. The building is still owned by a firm known as "Traverso Brothers." Started in the '30's, the three brothers would meet for weekly conferences to discuss family affairs. When Victorio died in 1933, Bill managed the property for a time then assigned the management to Jack in about 1950. They established a pact among themselves that if anything should happen to any of the brothers, the others would make sure the remaining widows did not suffer.

The Traverso brothers were instrumental in establishing a wholesale grocery cooperative called Rainbow Foods. The cooperative had several hundred members from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and spanned several decades. Our family holds the records of this endeavor and will be publishing information in the near future.

We are unable to find any reference to this business on the Internet. We hope to share the results of our research with the San Francisco Museum, as well as post it to the Internet.