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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E982-E983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING STEFANO GIUSEPPE RIBOLI
______
HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember a great
Angeleno, Stefano Giuseppe Riboli, who passed away on July 3, 2019, at
the age of 97. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and
great-grandfather, and lived a joyous life filled with the love of
family and friends. To the people of Los Angeles, he was also cherished
as the patriarch of San Antonio Winery, who led the winery's growth
into the thriving, century-old local institution it is today.
Stefano was a Los Angeles native. He was born in the city on
September 8, 1921, to
[[Page E983]]
Italian immigrant parents. However, when he was three, his family moved
back to Italy, and Stefano grew up there in the small mountain village
of Berzo San Fermo. In the springs and summers, he shepherded cows in
the local Alpine mountain pastures, and those experiences helped give
him his lifelong fondness for nature and animals.
When Stefano was 16, he returned to Los Angeles to work at San
Antonio Winery, which his uncle, Santo Cambianica, had founded in 1917
in the Italian-American neighborhood of Lincoln Heights. Santo mentored
Stefano, and his friendly and helpful attitude to people of all
backgrounds set an example that Stefano carried forward throughout his
life.
Thanks in large part to Stefano's hard work, his kind and cheerful
manner, and the love and support of his family, San Antonio Winery rose
from its humble beginnings to become Los Angeles's largest and longest-
producing winery, recently honored as 2018's American Winery of the
Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. And just as in its early days, the
winery is a family enterprise, with all of Stefano's children and many
ofhis grandchildren working there.
San Antonio Winery is much more than just a winery to the Los Angeles
community. It is a place where people of all backgrounds can meet and
enjoy each other's company. All are welcome, from families to business
leaders to tourists. And Stefano's charm and his remarkable memory were
essential to the winery' s convivial spirit. He was known as ``Papa
Steve,'' and would regale visitors with stories ofthe winery's history
and his days growing up in Italy--always with a smile on his face and a
glass of wine at the ready. His outgoing disposition was infectious,
and encouraged visitors to come back again and again.
For 73 years, Stefano was blessed by the strong and loving union he
shared with his wife, Maddalena. Their suppmt and devotion to each
other nurtured their children and grandchildren, their winery, and
their entire community.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in sending our deepest
condolences to the family of Stefano Giuseppe Riboli, including
Maddalena, their children Santo (Joan), Cathy (Nino), and Steve
(Sindee), their grandchildren Anthony, Steve, Lisa, Michael, Jennifer,
David, Dante, Blake, Christopher, and Alex, and their seven great-
grandchildren. Stefano will be greatly missed by Angelenos of all ages
and walks of life, but we know that his gracious and gentle spirit will
always live on in the family he loved and the business he led.
____________________