Lloyd Raffetto also known as Lloyd A. Raffetto, Lloyd Alexander Raffetto, and "Raff" (1897-1988), was a noted Italian-American- Irish-American co-inventor of an ice cream manufacturing process, entrepreneur, and banker who owned the Raffles Hotel (now Carey House) and co-founded the Mother Lode Bank, both of Placerville, California.

Background

Lloyd Alexander Raffetto was born on December 27, 1897, in Placerville, California. His parents were John Augustus Raffetto Sr. and Adela Creighton Raffetto. He was the eldest of four surviving children, followed by

Michael Raffetto Michael Raffetto (born Elwyn Creighton Raffetto; December 31, 1899 – May 31, 1990) was an American radio actor who starred as Paul Barbour (1932–1956) in the NBC Radio series ''One Man's Family'' and as Jack Packard in '' I Love a ...

, John Augustus Raffetto Jr., and Isadeen Adela Raffetto (future wife of

Alexander Howison Murray Jr. Alexander Howison Murray Jr. (1907–1993), known as Sandy Murray, was a two-time mayor of Placerville, California and three-time president of the county's chamber of commerce, who championed regional development, including the building of U. ...

He attended El Dorado High School and the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of the

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 30 ...

fraternity and manager of the agricultural journal.

Career

Raffles Hotel

In 1908, Raffetto's father bought the Cary House. In 1915, he demolished and rebuilt it with three stories that had fifty-four rooms (fifteen with baths), coffee shop, and dining room. Raffetto renamed it the Raffles Hotel. It is now again the Cary House.

Historical figures known to have stayed at the hotel include
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
(who used to write for the Mountain Democrat in Placerville), President
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
and John Studebaker. Hollywood figures, such as actress Bette Davis, have graced the hotel. Most recently,
Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...
and Lou Diamond Phillips filmed a movie at the hotel.

In 1928, Raffetto co-authored a book on the manufacture ice cream that substituted powdered milk for real milk. In 1935, Raffetto became president of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, based in Placerville.

Mother Lode Bank

In February 1952, Raffetto was one of several applicants for FDIC membership. In 1953, Raffetto became one of the organizers and long time directors of the

Mother Lode Bank ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gesta ...

(1953-1975), headquartered at 447 Main Street, Placerville. California state sentor

Swift Berry Jack Swift Berry (January 9, 1887 – June 27, 1967) was a forestry expert and lumberman and then two-term member of the California State Legislature from the Republican Party. Background Jack Swift Berry was born on January 9, 1887, in ...

served as its first president from 1953 to 1962. In 1963, Raffetto was elected president. In 1957, the bank applied to open a branch in Grass Valley, California. The bank continued to expand into the 1970s. On September 19, 1970, it opened another branch in Roseville, California with a ceremony attended by Roseville Mayor Baron Reed, bank branch manager Jerry Zak, assistant branch manager Robert Easter, local employees, and Raffetto. The bank's name appeared often in the local ''

Mountain Democrat The ''Placerville Mountain Democrat'' (known locally as the ''Mountain Democrat'' or simply ''Democrat'') is the newspaper of El Dorado County, California, based in Placerville and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the State of C ...

'' newspaper, either for dividend announcements, its business condition, employee news, or sponsorship. The bank became inactive on June 29, 1975, as part of its sale to Security Pacific National Bank (after further acquisitions most recently belonging to FIA Card Services as of 2014).

Community

In 1938, as a member of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce's historical committee, Raffetto helped found the El Dorado Historical Society, based in Placerville. In July, the committee asked two score organization to meet the following month to "form a county historical society and... county museum." Other committee members included: Ernest Van Harlingen, Henry Lyon, M. T. Kelly, Joseph Quigley, Don Goodrich, and L. J. Anderson. As a prominent businessman, in June 1949 Raffetto joined the publisher of the local newspaper and others in a Pacific Gas & Electric tour of the Feather River Project and received special birthday wishes from the newspaper for his 90th birthday. As a member of the Lions Club, Raffetto helped the local community deal with issues such as water management.

Personal life and death

Raffetto married Ethel Quigley. They had one son and grandson. Raffetto was a member of

E Clampus Vitus The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of Western United States, the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode#California Mother Lode, Mother ...

. Raffetto died age 90 on April 5, 1988.

Legacy

Raffetto was noted for his contributions to the State of California, including the California Legislature Assembly. Raffetto donated to the El Dorado County Library of Placerville. Raffetto, known to have "masterminded cooking" at local events, also kept track of local lore, including the origins and recipe for the Placerville recipe for "

Hangtown Fry Hangtown fry is a type of omelette made famous during the California Gold Rush in the 1850s. The most common version includes bacon and oysters combined with eggs, and fried together. History The dish was invented in Placerville, California, ...

" (see quote box).

Works

* ''Ice cream; a textbook for student and manufacturer'' (1928) ** The ice cream industry (1947) ** The ice cream industry (1956)

References

External sources

Recording of Lloyd Raffetto

Mother Lode Bank v. General Motors Acceptance Corporation {{DEFAULTSORT:Raffetto, Lloyd 1897 births 1988 deaths