Giambattista e Bartolomeo (Soprani) DeMartini (1862 - 1920) arrived from Lorsica, Italy penniless and in debt to relatives, and with his sheer force of will and drive plus a ruthlessness that was typical of this period, he rose to a position where he controlled the cutting, burning and sale of every bag of charcoal in the State of California. His dealings even with his family were always calculated to enhance his position. The early television series Death Valley Days once produced an episode based on his life which was titled, The Charcoal King of California. He married Clorinda (Ca,mpanetta) DeMartini.
His second born son, James Giambattista DeMartini, Sr, was born in San Francisco in 1901. A first generation "Italo American" he was very active in North Beach Italian community. He served the Knights of Columbus, Columbus Civic Club, Serra Club, Selective Service Systems Draft Board and OPA Price Rationing (gas) Board (WW II). He married Ethel Norma Catherine Simi in 1927 and they had one son, James G.B. DeMartini, Jr. born in 1928...who had six children, the eldest of whom is named, James G.B. DeMartini, III...who had 4 children, the eldest son is named James G.B. DeMartini, IV...and so we now have the fourth San Franciscan generation of "G.B. DeMartini's" .
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