Dean (Dino) Albert Cortopassi
Dean (Dino) Albert Cortopassi, 84, of Stockton, passed away on February 10, 2022 from complications resulting from a stroke.
Dino was born on September 22, 1937, to Italian immigrant parents Amerigo and Teresa Cortopassi in Stockton, CA.
After graduating from Stockton High School in 1954 on the vocational track, Dino acquired rheumatic fever, which injured his heart but not his drive. Instructed to “go lightly” by his doctor, Dino got behind the wheel of a truck, but “lightly” wasn’t in him and he suffered a mild heart attack. When doctors told him he must rest or he would die, he listened to the advice of his future fatherin-law and former Stockton Mayor, Dean DeCarli: “you can’t work, why not go to Davis—you love farming and it is the best agricultural school in the state”.
Dino went on to graduate with his AA from University of California, Davis, in 1958. At Davis, Dino soaked up his agricultural economics and soil science by day, and by night hosted an open poker game in his apartment.
After graduation, Dino landed his first job as a grain buyer for Pillsbury, and developed a deep understanding of markets, trading, and risk management. Over the years he often referred to this three-year experience as his “Pillsbury MBA”. In 1958, Dino married his high school sweetheart Joan DeCarli, at Morris Chapel in Stockton, they went on to have four children: Gino, Katie, Becky and David.
From 1958 to 2022, Dino was involved in farming and agribusiness. His friends referred to him as “Larger than Life”, and “A force of Nature”. Because his immigrant parents were worried about the future prospects of farming combined with wanting a life for him that did not require such a high-intensity work style, they decided to lease the farm for 15 years. Dino at 20, possessed a love for farming but did not possess any land. Not to be denied of his passion, Dino started his farming career by renting a 65-acre parcel that he cultivated into his first crop. By working smart, hard, and eagerly embracing technology, he grew the 65 rented acres by more than 100-fold to 7,000 owned acres today. These farms were incorporated with multiple partners, including Cortopassi Partners, Cocoa Farms, Del Rio Partners, Lodi Farming and still operate with outstanding managers and partners hand-picked and cultivated by Dino over the course of many years to understand “best and optimal practices” for modern farming.
Starting in 1968 with the purchase of Cal-Gift, a specialty pickling company, Dino also became fascinated with the perhaps more strategic “other end of the cow”—the processing, packing, and marketing side of agribusiness. From what he learned about sales and marketing channels in his Cal-Gift days, Dino had the confidence to move forward and invest in several other enterprises: Stanislaus Food Products, Gilroy Canning, Sierra Quality Canners, Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes, and Corto Olive. He understood each of these businesses inside and out by possessing an eye for details, an astute acumen for finance, the discipline for maintaining the highest quality, and a passion for success. Stanislaus Foods was his crowning achievement as he built a small tomato cannery in Modesto, California into the largest fresh pack tomato cannery in the world. This was accomplished through his insistence on superior quality and his ability to build and nurture brands through marketing. Dino instinctively knew how to connect with his independent Pizzeria and Italian restaurant customers by sharing his story of “growing up Italian” and trying to “get ahead”.
These are the things Dino loved. Dino loved his wife of 64 years Joan, and his four children and ten grandchildren. Dino loved his extended Italian family in Lucca, Italy, loved visiting his relatives there and speaking Italian with them. He loved Italian family traditions handed down to him by his father Amerigo: making homemade wine, homemade salami and sausage, and olive oil. Dino and Joan enjoyed hosting parties for their Stockton friends who they had known for over 60 years.
Dino loved a challenge, being presented with a weakness and turning it into a strength. He loved to take a well-calculated risk, go “All In” when the odds were right, and win a bet. He loved a weed-free stand of tomatoes and a clean and organized orchard. Dino loved well-prepared, fresh and delicious Italian food, as his mother Teresa and wife Joan prepared. Dino loved growing up in the Stockton Delta, Delta waterfowl, hunting, his dogs, fly-fishing, and knew everything about these topics. He developed his own waterfowl habitat the “Black Hole” in the Delta to promote waterfowl conservation. Dino loved crossing the USA on his Harley Davidson motorcycle with his best buddies, reciting the stories from the Lewis and Clark Expeditions or famous Civil War stories.
Dino loved focus and hard work, striving after excellence, striving to be better, striving to “Get Ahead”. He loved to watch his favorite football, basketball and baseball teams, especially when they won, but the most important thing to Dino was to extract and discern their winning strategy. When they asked for it, Dino loved to advise and consult family members, businesspeople, and friends who were presented with difficult problems or life choices. Dino would ask a series of questions, synthesize quietly, then present a series of options and let the listener decide what was best for him/her.
Things Dino hated included: pomposity, falsity, and deception of farmers or the general public, especially by government officials. Dino was feisty, a David more than willing to take on any Goliath. In 1969 he sued giant Libby McNeil and Libby for breach of contract and won. In 2008 he took on then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for mismanagement of California state funds. In 2011 he ran ads on what he perceived was Governor Jerry Brown’s mismanagement of California state policy. In 2014 he continued his campaign against mismanagement of California fiscal policy (Liar, Liar!). This began Dino’s 2016 Proposition 53 crusade against Revenue Bonds, a “blank check” for the State of California to fund billiondollar infrastructure projects without voter approval, proposition 53 failed by less than a 1% margin 50.6% to 49.4% in 2016. Most recently, Dino was involved in multiple legal efforts to push California Department of Water Resources to be good stewards of the Delta and protect its habitat.
Dino’s excellence in diverse fields has been recognized and honored by several bodies. Dino was selected in 1970 as one of four Outstanding Young Farmers in the US. In 1973 Dino was inducted into Young Presidents Organization of outstanding business leaders under 50. In 2005 Dino was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association, for those who had overcome adversity and ultimately succeeded. In 2014 Dino completed his “story”, Getting Ahead: A family’s Journey from Italian Serfdom to American Success. Dino saw himself as a descendant and a representative of his Italian share-cropper family who could “represent” for the family.
Dino and Joan have been part of multiple charitable organizations. In 1990, Dino and Joan started the Cortopassi Family Foundation, which supports “boots on the ground” charities in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.
Some of Dino’s favorite sayings: “Life is a banquet at which many go hungry”; “Arithmetic is not an Opinion”; “Chance favors the prepared mind”; “Get in position to get lucky”.
Dino was always curious about the way things worked, and what made them tick, whether it was a business or a machine. He read four newspapers a day: Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, and Stockton Record. He designed a novel tomato vine trainer in the 1960’s and patented it. He designed a deer hunting tent that fit everything that was needed snugly in the same time. He designed his house, Capecchio in the style of an Italian country house, from foundation to roof.
Dino was predeceased by his father Amerigo Cortopassi and mother Teresa Cortopassi. Dino is survived by wife Joan, four children, and ten grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: The Salvation Army Lodi Corps and/or St. Mary’s Dining Room in Stockton. A private service will be held by the family.