On this day: birth of restaurateur Cesare Cardini

Cardini grew up in a large family with four brothers and two sisters. Like many Italians in the early 20th century, several of the Cardini brothers emigrated in search of opportunity. Nereo settled in California, while Alessandro and Gaudenzio headed to Mexico City.

Cesare left Italy in 1913, arriving at Ellis Island in New York on 1 May after crossing the Atlantic as a steerage passenger. Conditions for those travelling in the cheapest class were basic, with migrants sleeping in crowded cargo holds fitted with bunk beds. After a brief return to Italy, where he is believed to have worked in restaurants in Milan, Cardini went back to the United States in 1919, settling first in Sacramento and then in San Diego.

Entrepreneurial during Prohibition

His entrepreneurial instincts flourished during the Prohibition era. Between 1920 and 1933, when alcohol was banned in the US, many American restaurateurs opened establishments just across the Mexican border, where restrictions did not apply. Cardini established a restaurant in Tijuana, reportedly with his brother Alessandro, who was known as Alex. The venue attracted streams of American visitors eager to dine and drink legally.