Morelli & Vanoni Genealogy - Person Sheet
Morelli & Vanoni Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameMORELLI, Stella
Birth3 Jun 1907, Occidental, California
Death11 May 2008, Penngrove, California
Burial15 May 2008, Petaluma, CA
FatherMORELLI, Joseph Barnaba Jr. (1865-1951)
Spouses
Birth5 Apr 1902, Petaluma, California
Death21 Jun 1997, Petaluma, California
Burial23 Jun 1997, Petaluma, California
FatherGARZOLI, Peter (1847-1914)
MotherQUANCHI, Celesta (1862-1928)
Marriage6 Jun 1928, San Rafael, California
ChildrenClarence (Mickey) (1934-)
Notes for Charles Romeo (Spouse 1)
The Garzoli family came from the Maggia Valley in Switzerland. Charlie, the youngest of 11 children, was raised in the Petaluma, California area. When alcohol was outlawed in the USA in 1919, many local people became involved in the illegal production of alcohol. By the mid 1920's, bootlegging reached its stride in Sonoma County. Charlie reportedly had a dog food factory in Petaluma that he used as a cover for a large alcohol production plant. At its peak, the production facility consisted of two towers, each 50 feet in height, that could be quickly disassembled and transported to a new location where they were reassembled and production was resumed. The two towers, each containing multiple distillation plates, were connected in series to produce alcohol with a purity of 98% (196 proof). The alcohol was immediately placed in air-tight containers, because unless it is quickly sealed, alcohol of this purity will absorb water from the air, and that will reduce the purity to about 192 proof. Production rate was significantly increased when the company hired a French chemist who discovered a catalyst (sodium succinate) that would dramatically improve the speed of the fermentation process.

In mid 1937, Charlie's moonshine operation was shut down by revenue agents. Charlie and Louie Boitano, one of his partners, were convicted of Revenue Law Conspiracy (tax evasion) and in November, 1937 they were sent to McNeil Island Penitentiary in Washington where they were confined for the better part of 2 years. Charlie eventually received a full pardon from the government.
Last Modified 13 May 2008Created 9 Jan 2024 by Dennis W. Morelli
Copyright © 2024, Dennis W. Morelli