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Sam Vella was his name. | He was from a little town on the island of Malta. When he was a teenager,
Sam’s father and mother died and he shipped out on vessels that plied the trade routesof the Middle East.
Finally, in 1913, Sam ended up in the Bay Area. He spent seven years in San Francisco, working in the laundries at the Palace and St. Francis Hotels. After visiting friends in Tiburon, Sam decided it would be a good place to settle down. The restaurant had its humble beginnings in 1920 when Sam pitched a tent on the Tiburon Beach and started serving breakfast and sandwich lunches to rail yard workers.
Reportedly, this famous restaurant was once a hub of bootlegging activity and that is how Sam really made his fortune. In those days, as today, the bar was a neighborhood gathering place. Sam used to laugh and say, "The people come to see me,” but in truth people drove miles for a spectacular view and a fresh seafood meal at Sam's.
Sam became a U.S. citizen in 1925 and he and his wife Nicky spent their lives around the restaurant. They made friends with the patrons and dined each night at a corner table.
Sam retired in 1960 and returned to malta. | |  |
