By Harold Fuller

After Mike Gallo got his liquor license back and some of his problems with the government squared away be began to look around for the possibilities of a sale for his new and now second, Gallo Inn. He closed a deal with a Reno investment group calling its self the RAM Corp. The name of the group was derived from the first initial of the first name of the three owners; Rube Goldwater, Abe Harris and Maurice Berman. They immediately leased the bar, restaurant and casino to a couple of men from the San Francisco who had previously owned and operated a similar business in the bay area called the El Capitan. One of these men, Frankie Farrell, decided that this would be the new name here. The RAM Investment Group would keep and operate the RAM Hotel on the north end of the facility and the new post office.

Mike and Vivienne (Vivian) Jensen Parker were in Reno on Nov. 9, 1942 and lived there until coming back to Hawthorne when he purchased the old Carson Colorado Railroad Depot from Sadie Miller on Sept. 14, 1944. The building had previously housed the Adams and Miller store after the disastrous down town fire July 2, 1926. Mrs. Miller had operated her Sweet Shop in the front part of the building for a number of years before leasing the building to H. A. “ASH” Kesler. “ASH” operated the Desert Bar until being taken over by Gallo.

Mike and Vivian wasted little time in establishing the third and final Gallo Inn and operated the business until they sold the Old Depot to the Elks Lodge 1704 on Aug. 26, 1946.

The couple moved to Duluth, Minn. where they managed a hotel-restaurant until it sold. They then moved to Gillespie, Ill. where they opened a restaurant and tavern they called Gallo’s.

Mike was jealous of his wife who was very attractive and some 30 years younger and he worried about her with other men. Eventually she did leave with someone else and came back a week later seeking forgiveness. Mike was enraged and attacked her with a six inch carving knife; stabbing her several time in the back as she attempted to get away. He then went outside and hailed a taxi to take him to the sheriff’s office so he could turn himself in.

I found conflicting reports of his sentence and the actual charges. One reported a 25-year sentence for murder and another for “not less than 13 years and not more than 14 years” for manslaughter. I don’t know how long he actually spent in prison but upon his release and parole he went to Henderson, Nev. to be near his son Mario, who was a pit boss in a casino in Las Vegas. Mike spent his final days living in a rundown decrepit trailer, occasionally working as a short order cook and receiving a ration of wine from his Gallo family. He was in his late eighties when he died and he was buried in Henderson with a small tin plaque marking his grave.

Though he had been purposely “disowned” by his nephews, Ernest and Julio Gallo, he was always proud of their accomplishments in building the most recognized wine making empire of the world.

Thus, began and ended the life of one of Hawthorne’s most unforgettable characters.