Joe Cefalu

Joe and wife Linda

In 1966 I married and my beautiful wife Linda, and have now been married 54 years. I have two sons Joseph Jr. and Christopher. Joe just retired as a Capt. From Campbell Police Dept. after 23years.  Chris works for the State of Nevada at UNR, University on Nevada Reno and manages the facility dept.

I owned Campbell Liquor & Sporting Goods for a few years on on Campbell Ave. This is where Leroy Ward bought his first shotgun. I sold that business then owned the Joe Cefalu insurance agency for 7years.

This is Peter J. Cefalu story, my father's and how he started ranching.

Joe's dad Pete, on his tractor towing the disker to till the soil.

My father and uncles were buying fruit crops and looked for the highest quality they could find. My dad met Jack Kurosaki,who was a rancher and lived on Doyle Road in San Jose and took great pride in the fruit he grew. Mr Kurosaki owned 27 acres on one side of the road and 60 acres on the other and grew prunes, apricots, pears & cherries. When the war came along Jack and his family were taken into the interment camps and were there for a number of years. My dad and my uncles harvested the crops on Jack's land and paid all of bills and taxes on the land to keep his land working. When the war was over Jack and his family stopped by to see who now owned the ranch.. My dad was there and he told Jack, "while you were gone from the ranch, I paid all your taxes and expenses from the crops we sold." At that point my father gave him all the paperwork showing that he, Jack Kurosaki, was the owner.

Mr. Kurosaki was so grateful he offered to sell my father 27 acres for the same price that Jack had originally paid for the land years and years back.

My dad did buy the land because it was pretty cheap and this actually started my dad in the ranching business . My dad uncle’s went on to buy other pieces of property: 40 acres on San Tomas in Campbell, 70 acres on Harry & McKean, 10 acres on Kirk Road in San Jose and more. Dad sold his produce to CPC California Packing Co. and to Schuckel.

This is me at graduation from Campbell High class of 62!

I've played Santa for the Town of Los Altos Hills for their barn Christmas party.

I became a deputy sheriff for the county of Santa Clara, was a bailiff and worked in the main jail, I was also in charge of prisoner visiting on weekends. After 5 years I left that job to work for ROLM in security.  ROLM sold to IBM and IBM sold to Siemens. I then worked for Siemens where I was in charge of the card access system across the US.  Programming the computers using Unix and Linux running a Cassie Rusco Security program called Picture Perfect, Security officers used this on a everyday bases. Siemens then put a new security system in for all locations in the USA and I was put in charge of it all.  I retired after 24 years with Siemens.

I was a certified locksmith PD registered

In retirement,  I  hunt and fish, trap and skeet shoot. I have enjoyed a few trips with my wife.  Italy was great. I have fun with my two grand kids and my dog Duke.