Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

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  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Marifrances Trivelli

  • The Port of Los Angeles celebrated its Centennial on December 9, 2007.  As part of the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project, these interviews feature various members of the Los Angeles Harbor Area community who were interviewed in 2007 to document different eras in Port history.

Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Tommy Amalfitano Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Tommy Amalfitano was born at San Pedro Hospital on December 10th, 1942. His family originated in Ishchia, with a background in fishing, which led them to immigrate to San Pedro. His father was involved in the restaurant and bar business, and his mother was a housewife. Tommy attended Mary Star, a Catholic school in San Pedro. He later became involved in the fish business, starting from a small fish market and eventually growing to a 10,000-square-foot building. Throughout his life, Tommy has been involved in various community events, such as the Fishermen's Fiesta.

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Tony DiBernardo Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Tony DiBernardo was born in 1928 on the island of Ischia, located off the coast of Naples, Italy. Tony's father, born in 1888, was a fisherman who supported his family by fishing off the coast of Africa. In November 1938, Tony, along with his mother and two older sisters, joined his father in San Pedro, California. Settling in San Pedro, Tony began his education at Cabrillo Avenue School, where he learned English in a class designed for new immigrants. Tony worked shining shoes at a local barbershop and later in a shoe repair shop and a produce market.

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Tony Lauro Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with Tony Lauro. 

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Tony Salcido Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with Tony Salcido.

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Torrance Parker Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with Torrance Parker. 

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Vern Hall Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Vernon Hall was born in San Pedro in 1936. He grew up in San Pedro, attended UCLA to study engineering, and then came back to San Pedro, where he lives today. His grandfather is Swedish, lived in Minnesota until they moved to San Pedro in 1905.  His grandfather and father were machinists who worked on ships in the harbor. 

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Violet Parkhurst Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with Violet Parkhurst. 

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Virginia Brownell Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Virginia Brownell was born in 1922 in Larimore, North Dakota. During her early years, she worked at the telephone office in Huron, South Dakota. Her journey to San Pedro, California, began when her future husband, who worked in the telephone company, decided to relocate to California before the outbreak of World War II. He initially worked in Ventura before securing a position in the San Pedro office. Virginia transferred to the San Pedro telephone office around the same time, coinciding with the events of Pearl Harbor.

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
Vito Giacalone Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with Vito Giacalone. 

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
William Gravett Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project

Oral history interview with William Gravett,

 Unknown Los Angeles, CA The Port of Los Angeles
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