Caglia, Frank, 1988 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient

Item

Transcript of Frank Caglia interview

Title

Caglia, Frank, 1988 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient

Description

Talks about immigrating from Italy and settling in Fresno, changes in Fresno over the years, his business, his friendship with Leon S. Peters, and his feelings about winning the Leon S. Peters award.

Creator

Caglia, Frank
Mehas, Dr. Peter G.

Relation

Leon S. Peters Legacy Collection

Coverage

Fresno, California

Date

2000

Format

Microsoft word 2003 document, 4 pages

Identifier

SCMS_lspl_00015

extracted text

>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Frank, can you just tell us when did you come to Fresno,
and how did you get started in your business?
>>Frank Caglia: We came to Fresno from Italy in 1920.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: 1920. And when you first came from Italy, did you come
right to Fresno?
>>Frank Caglia: Right to Fresno.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, what brought you here?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, Dad, Dad was here originally, then he came back when all
through World War I, and right after the war, why, it was took off came here.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: How old were you when you came to Fresno?
>>Frank Caglia: I was eight.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You were eight years of age. Now, when you came to Fresno,
what kind of business was your father in?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, he, he didn't have a business. We started cutting lawns is
what we did. Picking grapes and figs and peaches and cutting >>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: All those things. Now, the Caglia name is certainly wellknown throughout the Valley, and clearly the, the electric shop is, is, is, has
an excellent reputation. How did you get started in that business?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, the, Mrs. Elzea, who was the wife of the owner, called St.
Alphonsus School and talked to one of the priests. And why he picked me, I don't
know. There were three of us. But Father picked me. So when I went down there,
he says, "Well, when do you want to go to work?" and I said right now. Here I
am, 1929, July 3rd.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: That's how you got started in the business. What, what
things have you noticed in, in Fresno? You've seen a lot of change from 1920 to
the year 2000, you've seen a lot of, lot of change. So I guess if I'm doing my
math right, and you were eight years of age, you're about 88, 80, about 88.
>>Frank Caglia: You're right. Right on the nose. [laughter]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: OK.
>>Frank Caglia: Right on the nose. [laughter]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: OK. What changes have you seen in Fresno? Over the years.
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, many. Many of them. The industries have grown. Lot of our
customers like Producers Dairy and Foster Farms and all that, they've just grown
and grown and grown. I, I can still remember the day when they used to deliver
our milk by horse on Tuolumne Street by St. Alphonsus School.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Delivered the milk by horse. How did you keep it cold?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, we didn't let it get cold. We'd drink it. [laughter]

>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Tom Brokaw recently wrote a book called "The Greatest
Generation," and he speaks of your generation. The generation that went through
the Depression. Generation that fought the Second World War. The generation that
gave so much to this country. One of the things we all recognize is that the
Leon Peters Award not only stands for excellence in business, and clearly by
anybody's standard, you have been a very, very successful businessman, but more
importantly, of giving to the community. How did you get into the habit? You've
given so much, you and your family have given so much without expecting anything
in return; you've given. How did that come about culturally?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I feel that I was very fortunate to come to Fresno and to
meet all the people that we like, and it's just, just, that's what I felt about
it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so through the years, you've given so much to various
groups in the community and expected nothing in return.
>>Frank Caglia: That's thanks for what I got back. [laughs]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas:

You knew Lee Peters.

>>Frank Caglia: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When did you get to meet Lee, and how did you get to meet
Lee?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, we did business with Valley Foundry when they were on H
Street. And over the years, we enjoyed doing business with them, and finally we
ran into Leon, and we became very close friends.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So you've known him, you knew him up until his passing
away ->>Frank Caglia: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As, as well. What did it mean to you knowing that Lee
Peters Award is probably one of the most prestigious awards given to any
community leader, the Lew Eatons, the Dick Johansons, the Helen Smades. What did
it mean to Frank Caglia to receive that award? I mean, >>Frank Caglia: Almost equal to receiving a million dollars. I was very
fortunate, I was pleased, and I liked Lee very well. I had a letter that I, had
I known I was going to be here, I had a letter from him that he wrote to me
long, long time ago. But Leon was a real jewel. A real jewel.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What kind of emotions went through your heart and through
your mind when you, when you found out that, that you were going to be honored
by the community?
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, boy. I, I really felt great. Made me feel, because I, I
appreciated Lee, and he was a personal friend of mine.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you look at Fresno past, and if you look at Fresno in
the future, what are some of the changes that you like, and what are some of
your concerns about, about the town? What are some of the things that you've
seen that you like in terms of change, but some of the things that may, may be
concern you? Any thoughts on that.

>>Frank Caglia: Well, I really don't have any real concerns about it not doing
the right thing. I, I really feel that Fresno is on the go, and it'll go for a
long, long time. A real, I, I enjoy living here. Of course, I was real young
when, when I was in Italy, so I couldn't decide between the two, but Fresno's
been real grand to me. I appreciate every day of my life here.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As a grandfather, as a great-grandfather, with young
children coming up, any advice that you would give our young people who want to
start off in a business today. Any, any grandfatherly advice that you should
say, that some things that they should do if they want to be successful like
you?
>>Frank Caglia: I would say that they should go to school, do a real good job.
Study, and do part of their life, give it to the community also.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When people talk about Frank Caglia, they speak of you
with respect, but they also speak of you as a family man, and you've had a very,
very close and successful, successful family. Have they been instrumental in
your businesses?
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I'm very, very thankful.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas In terms of, I've asked you a lot of questions, but are,
is there anything just that, that when people, and you certainly have, you’re
young, you're only 88. But in, but in years to come, when they, when they
remember >>Frank Caglia, what do you want them to, to, to remember you by? What
do, what do you want them to say of you as a, as a person?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I'd say that I was, to the best of my ability, a real
friendly individual and business affiliations. They've been very good. I've
enjoyed doing business with many other companies that are here locally.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And the, the, the companies, a lot of the companies like,
like Lee, many of them were agricultural based, weren't they initially? Or they
were just very diverse.
>>Frank Caglia: Very, very like Foster Farms, Producers Dairy, Producers Cotton
Oil Company. All, all those companies. I did business with practically all of
them.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When did you retire from your business?
>>Frank Caglia: I haven't.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So you're still going strong at 88? [laughs]
>>Frank Caglia: Five and a half days a week.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're still going.
>>Frank Caglia: Just finished, I just finished my 70th year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As the owner and ->>Frank Caglia: No, not as the owner.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As the operator of the. What --

>>Frank Caglia: I didn't, I didn't acquire the building, the business until
1954.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So '54 as well. So you've had a few years operating it as
well. Any advice you would give to business people in terms that they want to do
business in Fresno on how to be successful?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I would say that anybody that's real fair and enjoys
business life should do whatever they can to help the people that they're doing
business with.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, anything that you would like to say that I didn't
ask you that just for historical purposes you'd just like to add?
>>Frank Caglia: Well ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Any thank yous or ->>Frank Caglia: I would like to say that my move from Italy to here was one of
the greatest things that we'd ever done. That my dad did for us, and he brought
us here. And up 'til today, Fresno has been wonderful to me. I have no
complaints, none whatsoever.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: By the way, how many brothers did you have? Because I've,
I knew Andy real well, and how many brothers actually were, five? Five, five
brothers that you, that you have, sisters?
>>Frank Caglia: I'm, I'm the oldest of 12.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're the oldest of 12 in the family. [laughs] And how
many of them actually came to Fresno out of the brothers ->>Frank Caglia: Three.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Three of them. OK. As well. And all very, very successful.
Well, on behalf of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the Leon Peters Committee,
Frank, it's been a real, real privilege to have you on this, and we thank you
for a lifetime of not only success in business but success as a family man, as a
grandfather, but also for giving so much to our community. This community owes
you a great deal, and we're very, very grateful for it.
>>Frank Caglia: I've been duly paid many times.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: [laughs] Well, what a privilege. Thank you, Frank. Very,
very [crosstalk].
>>Frank Caglia: God bless you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: God bless you as well, too.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Frank, can you just tell us when did you come to Fresno,
and how did you get started in your business?
>>Frank Caglia: We came to Fresno from Italy in 1920.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: 1920. And when you first came from Italy, did you come
right to Fresno?
>>Frank Caglia: Right to Fresno.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, what brought you here?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, Dad, Dad was here originally, then he came back when all
through World War I, and right after the war, why, it was took off came here.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: How old were you when you came to Fresno?
>>Frank Caglia: I was eight.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You were eight years of age. Now, when you came to Fresno,
what kind of business was your father in?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, he, he didn't have a business. We started cutting lawns is
what we did. Picking grapes and figs and peaches and cutting >>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: All those things. Now, the Caglia name is certainly wellknown throughout the Valley, and clearly the, the electric shop is, is, is, has
an excellent reputation. How did you get started in that business?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, the, Mrs. Elzea, who was the wife of the owner, called St.
Alphonsus School and talked to one of the priests. And why he picked me, I don't
know. There were three of us. But Father picked me. So when I went down there,
he says, "Well, when do you want to go to work?" and I said right now. Here I
am, 1929, July 3rd.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: That's how you got started in the business. What, what
things have you noticed in, in Fresno? You've seen a lot of change from 1920 to
the year 2000, you've seen a lot of, lot of change. So I guess if I'm doing my
math right, and you were eight years of age, you're about 88, 80, about 88.
>>Frank Caglia: You're right. Right on the nose. [laughter]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: OK.
>>Frank Caglia: Right on the nose. [laughter]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: OK. What changes have you seen in Fresno? Over the years.
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, many. Many of them. The industries have grown. Lot of our
customers like Producers Dairy and Foster Farms and all that, they've just grown
and grown and grown. I, I can still remember the day when they used to deliver
our milk by horse on Tuolumne Street by St. Alphonsus School.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Delivered the milk by horse. How did you keep it cold?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, we didn't let it get cold. We'd drink it. [laughter]

>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Tom Brokaw recently wrote a book called "The Greatest
Generation," and he speaks of your generation. The generation that went through
the Depression. Generation that fought the Second World War. The generation that
gave so much to this country. One of the things we all recognize is that the
Leon Peters Award not only stands for excellence in business, and clearly by
anybody's standard, you have been a very, very successful businessman, but more
importantly, of giving to the community. How did you get into the habit? You've
given so much, you and your family have given so much without expecting anything
in return; you've given. How did that come about culturally?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I feel that I was very fortunate to come to Fresno and to
meet all the people that we like, and it's just, just, that's what I felt about
it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so through the years, you've given so much to various
groups in the community and expected nothing in return.
>>Frank Caglia: That's thanks for what I got back. [laughs]
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas:

You knew Lee Peters.

>>Frank Caglia: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When did you get to meet Lee, and how did you get to meet
Lee?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, we did business with Valley Foundry when they were on H
Street. And over the years, we enjoyed doing business with them, and finally we
ran into Leon, and we became very close friends.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So you've known him, you knew him up until his passing
away ->>Frank Caglia: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As, as well. What did it mean to you knowing that Lee
Peters Award is probably one of the most prestigious awards given to any
community leader, the Lew Eatons, the Dick Johansons, the Helen Smades. What did
it mean to Frank Caglia to receive that award? I mean, >>Frank Caglia: Almost equal to receiving a million dollars. I was very
fortunate, I was pleased, and I liked Lee very well. I had a letter that I, had
I known I was going to be here, I had a letter from him that he wrote to me
long, long time ago. But Leon was a real jewel. A real jewel.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What kind of emotions went through your heart and through
your mind when you, when you found out that, that you were going to be honored
by the community?
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, boy. I, I really felt great. Made me feel, because I, I
appreciated Lee, and he was a personal friend of mine.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you look at Fresno past, and if you look at Fresno in
the future, what are some of the changes that you like, and what are some of
your concerns about, about the town? What are some of the things that you've
seen that you like in terms of change, but some of the things that may, may be
concern you? Any thoughts on that.

>>Frank Caglia: Well, I really don't have any real concerns about it not doing
the right thing. I, I really feel that Fresno is on the go, and it'll go for a
long, long time. A real, I, I enjoy living here. Of course, I was real young
when, when I was in Italy, so I couldn't decide between the two, but Fresno's
been real grand to me. I appreciate every day of my life here.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As a grandfather, as a great-grandfather, with young
children coming up, any advice that you would give our young people who want to
start off in a business today. Any, any grandfatherly advice that you should
say, that some things that they should do if they want to be successful like
you?
>>Frank Caglia: I would say that they should go to school, do a real good job.
Study, and do part of their life, give it to the community also.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When people talk about Frank Caglia, they speak of you
with respect, but they also speak of you as a family man, and you've had a very,
very close and successful, successful family. Have they been instrumental in
your businesses?
>>Frank Caglia: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I'm very, very thankful.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas In terms of, I've asked you a lot of questions, but are,
is there anything just that, that when people, and you certainly have, you’re
young, you're only 88. But in, but in years to come, when they, when they
remember >>Frank Caglia, what do you want them to, to, to remember you by? What
do, what do you want them to say of you as a, as a person?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I'd say that I was, to the best of my ability, a real
friendly individual and business affiliations. They've been very good. I've
enjoyed doing business with many other companies that are here locally.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And the, the, the companies, a lot of the companies like,
like Lee, many of them were agricultural based, weren't they initially? Or they
were just very diverse.
>>Frank Caglia: Very, very like Foster Farms, Producers Dairy, Producers Cotton
Oil Company. All, all those companies. I did business with practically all of
them.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: When did you retire from your business?
>>Frank Caglia: I haven't.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So you're still going strong at 88? [laughs]
>>Frank Caglia: Five and a half days a week.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're still going.
>>Frank Caglia: Just finished, I just finished my 70th year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As the owner and ->>Frank Caglia: No, not as the owner.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As the operator of the. What --

>>Frank Caglia: I didn't, I didn't acquire the building, the business until
1954.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So '54 as well. So you've had a few years operating it as
well. Any advice you would give to business people in terms that they want to do
business in Fresno on how to be successful?
>>Frank Caglia: Well, I would say that anybody that's real fair and enjoys
business life should do whatever they can to help the people that they're doing
business with.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, anything that you would like to say that I didn't
ask you that just for historical purposes you'd just like to add?
>>Frank Caglia: Well ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Any thank yous or ->>Frank Caglia: I would like to say that my move from Italy to here was one of
the greatest things that we'd ever done. That my dad did for us, and he brought
us here. And up 'til today, Fresno has been wonderful to me. I have no
complaints, none whatsoever.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: By the way, how many brothers did you have? Because I've,
I knew Andy real well, and how many brothers actually were, five? Five, five
brothers that you, that you have, sisters?
>>Frank Caglia: I'm, I'm the oldest of 12.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're the oldest of 12 in the family. [laughs] And how
many of them actually came to Fresno out of the brothers ->>Frank Caglia: Three.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Three of them. OK. As well. And all very, very successful.
Well, on behalf of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the Leon Peters Committee,
Frank, it's been a real, real privilege to have you on this, and we thank you
for a lifetime of not only success in business but success as a family man, as a
grandfather, but also for giving so much to our community. This community owes
you a great deal, and we're very, very grateful for it.
>>Frank Caglia: I've been duly paid many times.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: [laughs] Well, what a privilege. Thank you, Frank. Very,
very [crosstalk].
>>Frank Caglia: God bless you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: God bless you as well, too.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====

Item sets

Leon S. Peters Legacy Set