Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: MAUTINO

A successful rancher who is a strong advocate of cooperation among farmers, is John Mossi, the vineyardist who resides on the Watsonville Road, eight miles northwest of Gilroy. He was born at Buenos Aires, in the far-away Argentine Republic, on October 18, 1872, although his father, John Mossi, was a native of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. He was a remarkable man, and when twenty-two years old, in 1852, he made a trip to South America, taking over a year in a sailing vessel to make the trip, to locate and establish a packing house for the handling of tallow and hides; he resided many years at Buenos Aires, where he became well-to-do; and when he sold out, he returned to Switzerland. During his stay in the Argentine Republic, he was for four years consul from Switzerland; and he made numerous trips from South America to Europe, and also became well known in New York, where, for eleven years he was proprietor of one of the highest-class restaurants, which he had established. He also opened a restaurant at San Francisco, and when he. was eighty-six years old, he retired and returned to Switzerland, where he died October 18, 1921. Mrs. Mossi is still living, enjoying good health at the age of eighty.

John Mossi accompanied his mother, in 1876, from Buenos Aires to Switzerland and was there reared and educated in a fine private academy. When he was eighteen years old, he crossed the ocean to America and followed his father to San Francisco. a year after he had gone hither; and in 1891 he went to work on a ranch near San Luis Obispo for a Mr. Farrey. At the end of six months, he removed to the Santa Clara Valley; and he soon became foreman of the vineyard and orchard development work on the Bander ranch in the Morgan Hill Valley. In 1894 he leased the John Wise ranch and orchard, and at the end of six years rented the P. H. Cordes Vineyard, where he then lived for eleven years, engaged as a vineyardist and wine-maker. In 1910 he acquired by purchase some forty acres of barren land on the Watsonville Road, and this he has since developed into a fine vineyard and orchard.

At Gilroy, in January, 1898, Mr. Mossi was married to Miss Rosie Mautino, the daughter of Frank Mautino of Gilroy, a talented -woman who presides over her home gracefully. Two children have sprung from this happy union, Artillo and Modesta. Mr. Mossi was made a citizen of the United States at San Jose in 1896, and since then he has voted the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Gilroy lodge of Odd Fellows, and Mrs. Mossi is a member of the Rebekahs. He is always public-spirited, and has never failed to help the development of worthy public enterprises.
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from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922  page 1444

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