Milla, Caesar

Caesar Milla was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, on November 1, 1875, to Joseph Milla and Filomina Mattei. At fifteen years of age, he immigrated to the United States and went directly to Fresno County, California, to work at the Mattevista Winery owned by his uncle, Andrew Mattei. Through dedicated effort, he mastered the industry and served as superintendent of the winery, later becoming head of its distilling department while sending his earnings back to Switzerland for twenty years to support his parents and six siblings.

In 1908, Caesar expanded his holdings in Fresno County by purchasing a forty-acre ranch devoted to wine grapes and raisins, where he built a beautiful bungalow in 1917. He married Mrs. Ida Poletti Milla in 1910 and raised three children, Florence, Caesar Jr., and his stepdaughter Lena. A devout Catholic and active Republican, he successfully managed his vineyard alongside his responsible position at the winery until his later years.