California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

MRS. MARIE BRUNO. Those who know her story intimately say that there is hardly a more remarkable 
woman in Santa Barbara County than Mrs. Marie Bruno. She has lived here for thirty-one years, and by 
her own resourcefulness and energy has acquired a competency and enjoys one of the handsome 
homes of Santa Barbara.

 She was born at Cava, Italy, May 16, 1850. She married Joseph Bruno, a tailor, whom she left behind in 
Italy.

On June 18, 1885, she sailed from Havre, France, to America. While she herself was not ill during the 
voyage many of the passengers were, and on account of her devotion and skillful attendance to the 
sick on board she earned the title of "Little Captain." The vessel on which she crossed the Atlantic was 
the Normandie, then making its first trip, and setting the record for transatlantic sailing, arriving in New 
York City seven days after leaving France.  
 
Mrs. Bruno arrived in Santa Barbara on the 11th of July, 1885. Here she was employed on the ranch at 
Carpinteria as a cook, the Del de Mar Ranch, now owned by Mr. J. R. Fithian. She supervised the 
kitchen and the cuisine of that ranch for twenty-four years. Out of her earnings she made the money 
which started her on her successful business career. She bought from her savings her present 
property at 923 Bath Street in Santa Barbara. She was one of the first sixteen stockholders in the Santa 
Barbara Transfer Company, but later sold her interests to Homer N. Duffey, now president and general 
manager of that company. Some years ago Mrs. Bruno paid $1,500 for a ranch at Lompoc, and 
afterwards sold it for $5,000 with the stipulation that should asbestos or oil be found on the ranch, 
which had already shown traces of those deposits, she is to get a half from the proceeds of the sales 
during her lifetime.  
 
The mountains and sea near Santa Barbara remind Mrs. Bruno of her childhood days in sunny Italy, and 
as she gazes at the mountains in the distance tears of longing for her old home sometimes fill her 
eyes.