Bernardo & Marie Maniscalco
In 1913 Bernardo, Marie and their three children, Sam, Anna, and Mary, came to the United States from Palermo, Sicily. They settled in Colorado where Bernardo worked in the steel. Two more children, Leon and Frances, were born in Colorado. Bernardo once said that his ancestors were all farmers and he guessed it was bred in his bones. He would rather be a poor farmer than a prosperous steel worker. So, in 1922, they came to California to become farmers or ranchers.
He leased the 130 acre Thum ranch after seeing the forty acres of cactus growing there. He and once recognized the ‘prickly pear’ as a delicacy prized by people of the Mediterranean area and felt that he could develop a market for the fruit.
Hugo Thum, the inventor of fly paper, had started the ranch as an experimental agricultural project. In 1910 he had obtained eight hundred leaf pads of the spineless cactus from San Jose. This spineless cactus had been brought from Italy in 1902. The native cactus was smaller and had many more spines. Thum planted this cactus in an experiment in feeding cattle that was not very successful
The plants were planted close together and on the hillside. They were difficult to harvest, but the first year Bernardo managed to ship four carloads of fruit to the New York markets.
In 1929 Bernardo bought a forty-five acre ranch from Fred Prindle and his sisters. This was in the area bounded by Riverford Road, Riverside Drive and Palm Row Drive. They planted twenty-eight acres with pads taken from the Thum Ranch. These plants were planted in rows well spaced so they could be irrigated and harvested with greater ease. With this care the fruit was larger and tastier. Production increased until between fourteen and twenty-two carloads were being shipped annually. This was the only commercial cactus fruit ranch in Southern California.
In 1929 Bernardo bought a forty-five acre ranch from Fred Prindle and his sisters. This was in the area bounded by Riverford Road, Riverside Drive and Palm Row Drive. They planted twenty-eight acres with pads taken from the Thum Ranch. These plants were planted in rows well spaced so they could be irrigated and harvested with greater ease. With this care the fruit was larger and tastier. Production increased until between fourteen and twenty-two carloads were being shipped annually. This was the only commercial cactus fruit ranch in Southern California. This became quite a complex with the packing shed, the equipment for lididng and a machine shop on the property.
By 1949 Bernardo, now nearing seventy, had turned the management of the ranch over to his three sons, Sam, Leon, and Joseph. The family had increased since coming to Lakeside. Joseph and Josephine were born here. In the earlier years the girls had all helped in the packing sheds, but by the time Bernardo turned over the management they had married and left the ranch.
Leon supervised the field work and the shipping. Sam was in charge of the packing shed, the timekeeping and the books while Joseph was in charge of making the boxes and the lidding machine. It has been calculated that one acre produced eight hundred boxes or about fifty thousand pieces of fruit a year. That required a lot of boxes!
Bernardo died in 1954 at age seventy-four. Marie died in 1979 at age ninety-three. The boys continued to operate the well-known ‘Cactus Farm’ until 1968 when they removed all the cactus by bulldozing them under. Forty acres were sold and Jim Autry raised hay there for several years. A few cactus plants remain on the hill behind the house, but on most of the land there is now a growing housing development.
Joseph Louis Maniscalco
Joseph was born in Lakeside, CA, on September 15, 1928. He was the youngest of seven children born to Bernardo and Maria Maniscalco.
He was raised on a 40-acre prickly pear ranch, the fruit of which was grown, harvested, and sold. As a young, newly-married man, he migrated to the wholesale produce industry. After proving himself as a hard-working, conscientious employee, he was afforded an opportunity to become a partner in Sleeper/Snyder Produce Company. He worked there for over 25 years until, in 1988, he joined his two sons, Michael and Jon, in their business, San Diego Produce. There, he was responsible for customer relations, as well as maintaining all the equipment necessary to keep things running smoothly.
After retirement, he dedicated himself to his grandchildren, hobbies, gardening, and supporting his sons in any way he could. He was the ultimate handyman, having expertise in woodworking, metal craftsmanship, including welding, plumbing, electrical, etc. He enjoyed fishing, having owned three boats, and outings with his cousins, Joe Maniscalco, and Dominic Ancona. He passed away peacefully on September 22, 2010 at his home in Mission Hills.
Joseph was survived by his wife of 57 years, Lucille, his sons, Michael (Heidi) and Jon (Marlene), who loved him tremendously, his three grandchildren, Tina, Joey, and Dominic, his sisters Mary Piscopo and Josephine Danna, and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. He was deeply missed by his family and friends as he left a positive and lasting impression on everyone who knew him with his friendliness, caring, compassion, and good nature.
Visitation was held at Merkley Mitchell Mortuary on, September 27th. Services took place at Holy Cross Cemetery on September 28th. The family requested donations to the American Liver Foundation.
11/20/2010
Dear [LHS],
Thank you for printing the obituary for my Father, Joseph Maniscalco. Spending nearly every weekend as a youngster at the Cactus Ranch provided me and my brother with a unique, interesting, informative, enriching, and, mostly, fun childhood. I came to appreciate my family’s heritage and roots in Lakeside. He would have been very proud to have this small glimpse of his life featured in your publication. He, routinely, clipped articles about the family and the Ranch, and looked forward to every issue.
All the best.
Jon Maniscalco
Catherine “Catie” & Sam Maniscalco
Sam and his sister, Catherine “Catie,” moved to California from New Orleans, Louisiana in 1937. Their father wanted to be near his brothers who had already settled in California. They first lived in El Cajon, but moved to Lakeside when they took over the Liquor Store on Maine Avenue in 1938. Sam was only 16 when he and his sister took over the store.
Sam was affectionately known as the ‘candy man’ because he loved children and always had penny candy for them – even when it cost him more than a penny – at his store. The children of the area called the store the ‘licorice store’ instead of the Liquor Store. Sam had promised himself that he would always have penny candy for children, and was working on his fourth generation of children in Lakeside to whom he sold candy. The Lakeside Theatre was across the street; the store location made it convenient for children to ‘load-up’ on candy to ‘smuggle-in’ for the movie.
Sam was a charter member of the Optimist Club of Lakeside and belonged to the Chamber of Commerce. He and his sister were among the oldest members of the OLPH Catholic Church.
Sam’s hobby was collecting model cars. He also loved to cook. The store was more than just a business to him – it was a meeting place to form bonds of friendship. Sam loved people. He loved to talk to them and to pass the time of day, doling out his homespun charm and wit as if it was the penny candy they sold.
Sam died March 3, 1983 and Katie March 8, 1991
