Business of	VACCARO BROS., (Business entity), Italy then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller September 1998

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Vaccaro Bros., importers and prominent business men of the Crescent City,
are sons of Stefano and Maria (Pumilia) Vaccaro.  Stefano Vaccaro, born in
Contessa Entellina, southern Italy, in 1831, was a capitalist, became a
revolutionist with Garabaldi and was in several battles.  He was once, in
1858 or '59, held as a prisoner of war.  After the war in Italy he came to
America in 1860 and settled in New Orleans.  When the Civil war in this
country broke out he went to Louisville, Ky., where he remained about 2
years and then returned to this city.  He engaged in the fruit and produce
business, which he followed until about 1893, when he retired and his sons
took charge of the business.  Stefano Vaccaro then returned to Contessa,
Italy, where he lived until his death 1912, coming to America for an
occasional visit with his children.  Maria Pumilia married Stefano Vaccaro
in Italy, and died in New Orleans in 1891.  Mr. and Mrs. Stefano Vaccaro
were the parents of 4 children as follows:  Joseph,  Luca,  Felix and
Frances, the latter of whom was Mrs. N. Bruno, who died in 1908 and left 4
children which the Vaccaro Brothers are supporting and educating.  The
Vaccaro Brothers first engaged in the fruit and produce business at Decatur
and North Peters streets, being wholesale dealers until about 1898, when
they began importing bananas and cocoanuts from Spanish Honduras to New
Orleans whence they are shipping to all parts of the country.  This
business has grown to be one of very large proportions.  This firm owns
their own line of 4 boats of about 2,000 tons capacity each, and these are
kept busy all the year.  They raise their own fruit and operate 100 miles
of their own railway in Honduras.  Each boat makes a round trip every 8
days, which makes the business amount to 1,000 tons every day of the year.
The firm employs about 2,000 men in Honduras, 100 in New Orleans, and
approximately 200 on the boats.  All the brothers except Felix, were born
in Italy, but they all attended public and private schools in New Orleans.
An uncle of these brothers, Felix Vaccaro, by name came to America to find
his brother Stefano in New Orleans, but when he landed in New York he
enlisted on the northern side in the Civil war and went through that
conflict until the last battle near Richmond when he was killed.  He never
had been wounded before.  In religious faith all the brothers are Roman
Catholics and members of the Jesuit church.  Joseph married Anna Mustachia
and they have 8 children.  Luca married Marie Tranchard and they have 6
children. Felix married Anna Smith, daughter of W. F. and Catherine Smith,
of New Orleans.  Mrs. Smith was a native of Germany and Mr. Smith from
England.  Mr. and Mrs. Vaccaro have no children.

Source:  Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp.
742-743.  Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit. D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.