Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Gangster and The Grape Grower | 1

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 October 2020

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It's the early 1900’s and two young brothers emigrate from Italy to the US to make their fortunes. In California, they con, grift and bamboozle their fellow immigrants out of thousands of dollars, enough to start a wine business. But when Prohibition shuts that down, they dive into the dangerous game of bootlegging, with disastrous results.

The older brother has two young sons, Ernest and Julio Gallo. He doesn’t know it yet, but his sons will eventually transform his sketchy legacy into the largest wine company in the world, E & J Gallo Winery.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to Business Wars Add Free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.
0:14.0	A note to listeners, this episode contains descriptions of violence. Please take care while listening.
0:20.0	It's June 1933, Fresno, California.
0:31.0	Julio Gallo pulls his truck into the driveway of his father's run-down farm.
0:36.0	There are patches of weeds in the hard-baked fields. The unpainted front porch is sagging so badly, the steps have collapsed into the yard.
0:45.0	Julio is 23 years old, lean and strong. His skin is leathery from a childhood spent working the vineyards under his father's brutal rule.
0:55.0	He's here to save his kid brother, Joe, from a similar fate. But there's someone he has to see first.
1:03.0	Julio finds his father in the barn, Joe Sr., pacing beneath the hay loft.
1:09.0	Dad, I'm here to get Joe Jr., I'm bringing him home with me. I'd bring Mama too, but I know she won't leave you.
1:17.0	Joe Sr. walks up to Julio, standing inches from his face. He jabs his finger into his son's chest.
1:24.0	Who do you think you are telling me what to do with my son? But Julio stands his ground. He's just a kid, he should be in school.
1:32.0	Besides, I don't know why you dragged him and Mama to this dump when we have a perfectly nice ranch in Modesto.
1:38.0	His father steps back and spits on the ground at Julio's feet. Julio turns and disgust, and heads for the house.
1:46.0	Joe, hey, Joe, where are you?
1:51.0	Joe Jr. runs down the stairs and launches himself into Julio's arms for a bear hug. He's pint-sized for 13. His hand meat out overalls a drag on the floor.
2:01.0	Listen, kiddo, go get your things. I'm taking you back to Modesto.
2:06.0	But Julio, I want to stay here. Dad and Mama are getting along fine now.
2:12.0	Julio shakes his head. His little brother is their father's favorite. The one Joe Sr. never backhands out of the blue.
2:20.0	Joe Jr. wasn't even born yet when their father would pick up Julio or Ernest and hurl them across the parlor. Or beat their mother Susie with the handle of a hoe.
2:30.0	Ernest and I don't think it's safe. Quick now. I'll help you pack.
2:35.0	As Julio loads his brother's suitcase and baseball mid into the back of the truck, their father runs up and grabs Julio's arm.
2:42.0	How am I supposed to run this place by myself? I need him to help with the farm.
	...

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