EKSKLUZIVNI INTERVJU S JEDNIM OD NAJUSPJEŠNIJIH HRVATA U DIJASPORI: Ništa dobro ne proizlazi samo iz davanja. Moja djeca naučila su cijeniti rad

Tek rijetki od nas odmah znaju što žele kada je vrijeme za donošenje teških odluka. No. s time nema problema Steve Bubalo, Amerikanac hrvatskog podrijetla koji je 1955. godine došao u Sjedinjene Američke Države kao izbjeglica i postao nadaleko poznat.

Odlučnost, tvrdoglavost, odanost i marljivost bile su ključne osobine koje su Stevea učinile jednim od najuspješnijih Hrvata u dijaspori. Nema našeg čovjeka u Los Angelesu koji ne zna za reputaciju ovog dobrog i velikodušnog Hrvata, iskrenog hrvatskog i američkog domoljuba, odanog supruga i oca te sposobnog poduzetnika.

Steve sebe opisuje kao vrlo komunikativnu i otvorenu osobu. Njegova supruga Louise (u braku su preko 60 godina), na sve veći popis pridjeva dodaje da je njezin suprug pošten i iskren. Usput bih čitateljima portala dijaspora.hr željela otkriti kako ga tijekom našeg dugogodišnjeg poznanstva doživljavam kao vrlo šarmantnog i ljubaznog gospodina, poznatog po svojoj natjecateljskoj naravi i izravnom govoru.

Prije dolaska u Ameriku

Rođen kao četvrto od sedmero djece u malom i siromašnom selu Hradomilju, udaljenog četiri kilometra od Ljubuškog, uporišta hrvatskih katolika, Steve se žestoko protivio komunizmu. Kada je završio Drugi svjetski rat, junak naše priče imao je 13 godina. Odbio je obrađivati ​​zemlju svoje obitelji jer je komunistička vlada odlučila što će se sijati. Pokušao je drugačijim putem. Njegovo prihvaćanje u visoko zahtjevan program aviomehaničara u Mostaru brzo je okončano nakon što je završena osobna provjera kako bi se otkrila antikomunistička osjećanja njegove obitelji. Tada je počeo razmišljati o bijegu.

Još nije znao kako pobjeći, ali znao je da ne želi živjeti u Jugoslaviji. Kada je to sebi stavio u glavu, znao je da će ostvariti svoj cilj, premda je to značilo biti strpljiv dugo vremena dok se ne ukaže prava prilika.

Budući da je u njegovu području bilo mnogo špijuna i vladinih doušnika, naš sugovornik je znao da namjere bijega mora zadržati za sebe. Tek kada mu je naređeno da se prijavi za obvezni vojni rok, osjetio je da mu se približava prava prilika za odlazak.

Steve objašnjava svoj put od graničnog vojnika do bijega…

“U šestomjesečnom vojnom kampu za osnovnu obuku u Delnicama, kapetanu sam zapeo za oko jer sam bio prijateljski nastrojen, uvijek sam izvršavao svoje zadatke bez greški i pritužbi te igrao nogomet bolje od ostalih. Iako je kapetan bio odani komunist, ponudio mi je izlaz iz mračne budućnosti putem preporuke u Jugoslavensku vojnu akademiju, što se u to vrijeme smatralo velikom čašću.

Kada se jednom diplomira kao časnik, to je bio siguran način za postići neki značajan status, dobru plaću i moćnu poziciju. Odbio sam ga. Nema šanse da radim za jugoslavensku vojsku. Kapetan je bio ljut i šokiran, ali nije mogao znati da ne planiram ostati u zemlji. Nakon obuke poslani smo na granicu, ali problem je bio taj što nismo imali pojma na koju smo granicu raspoređeni sve dok nismo došli na pola puta. Dodijeljenost na mađarsku ili rumunjsku granicu, gdje je bilo mnogo napetosti i nemira, značila je veliku vjerojatnost ranjavanja ili smrti.

Tek u 3 sata dok smo putovali vlakom vojnici i ja shvatili smo u kojem smjeru idemo. Vlak na kojemu sam bio krenuo je prema sjevernoj obali Jadrana, a to je značilo da ću ja čuvati granicu s Italijom”.

Steve se nasmiješio, znajući da mu je mogućnost bijega blizu. Jedina nepoznanica bila je kako će to učiniti. Trebalo mu je samo tri dana nakon što je stigao na odredište u Istri da smisli kako pronaći priliku za slobodu. Morao je prijeći preko strme planine koja je služila kao granica između Jugoslavije i Italije. Naoružan s dvije granate i vojnim mitraljezom prebačenim preko svojih prsa i ramena, satima je orao planinu kroz duboki snijeg u uniformi jugoslavenske vojske sve dok nije dosegao vrh. Gledajući dolje mogao je vidjeti oznake koje su upućivale na talijansku granicu.

“Nisam se mogao spustiti niz to brdo dovoljno brzo. Znojio sam se iako je bio hladan dan u ožujku. Kada sam ušao u policijsku postaju, tamo su se tri talijanska službenika ukočila. Odjednom su vidjeli jednog tipa obučenog kao komandosa sa strojnicom obješenom oko ramena i prsa. Tada je jedan od njih shvatio da nosim crnu uniformu jugoslavenske vojske i upitao: ‘Scappato?’ To mi je bila prva i najljepša talijanska riječ koju sam ikada naučio. To znači ‘pobjegao’; a moj odgovor je bio jednostavan i sretan: ‘Da’. Počeli su me grliti i nuditi mi hranu i piće. Zatim sam prevezen u Udine gdje sam bio 12 dana na ispitivanju. Italija i Jugoslavija imale su napetost oko spornog zemljišta uz granicu, a Talijani su od mene pokušavali dobiti što više informacija. Nakon toga sam poslan u izbjeglički kamp u Frascati (u regiji Rim), ali je zbog napetosti na području Trsta postojala velika mogućnost da budem jedan od nesretnika koji će biti razmijenjen za talijanske ratne zarobljenike koje je držala jugoslavenska vlada. Moja fotografija tada je bila u svim talijanskim novinama kao vojnika koji je pobjegao. Povratak u Jugoslaviju za mene nije značio samo odlazak u zatvor. Nakon što sam pobjegao iz nje, suđeno mi je u odsutnosti na smrt zbog dezertiranja iz vojske. Ako ikad više zakoračim na jugoslavensko tlo, trebao sam biti pogubljen.

Došlo je vrijeme da odem iz Italije, i to brzo, prije nego što su shvatili kakvu bi dobru razmjenu za mene mogli napraviti. Pomoću franjevca koji je poznavao mog bratića, svećenika u Širokom Brijegu, uspio sam stupiti u kontakt s poglavarom sv. Jeronima u Rimu, profesorom Draganovićem. On je pristao pomoći još dvojici izbjeglica i meni iz kampa da odemo u Austriju. Morali smo poderati sve dokumente koji pokazuju da smo bili u Italiji jer da se znalo da smo pobjegli, Austrijanci bi nas morali deportirati u Jugoslaviju. Bio je to rizik, ali smo ga morali preuzeti. Sve je više hrvatskih izbjeglica koje su noću nestajale iz logora Frascati. Talijanska policija dolazila bi usred noći, pokupila nekoliko Hrvata i prevezla ih do granice zbog razmjene s jugoslavenskim vlastima”.

Nakon što je uspješno naveo austrijske vlasti da vjeruju kako je upravo pobjegao iz Jugoslavije, Steve i njegovi suputnici smješteni su u izbjeglički kamp u Linzu. Podnio je zahtjev za imigraciju u SAD, gdje mu je ujak živio u Watsonvilleu, Kalifornija. Junaku naše priče trebalo je dvije godine u logoru da dobije dokumente, a 1955. stigao je u San Francisco.

Novi Amerikanac

Kao 21-godišnjak, Steve je bio na putu kao legalni imigrant u San Franciscu gdje ga je čekao ujak. Njegova prva dva posla bila su branje marelica i jabuka, a kasnije i jagoda za 95 centi na sat. U San Franciscu se susreo sa svojim prijateljem Ivom Bačanom koji je s njim bio u logoru u Austriji. To je prijateljstvo bilo vrlo značajno jer je Stevea odvelo daleko.

“Ivo i ja smo bili cimeri, radili smo zajedno i skupili smo novac za kupovinu automobila. Išli smo zajedno na hrvatske festivale i našli dečka koji bi nas mogao spojiti da radimo u građevinarstvu. Naš posao bio je postavljanje tračnica za vagone mješavine pijeska i vode koji će se prevoziti do gradilišta. Amerikanci koji su to radili bili su spori, a mi smo dobili dogovor koji nismo mogli odbiti. Kada bismo mogli raditi brže i uštedjeti kašnjenje od dva do tri dana uzrokovano sporim radom drugih momaka, imali bismo posao s punim radnim vremenom za vrijeme trajanja projekta i zarađivali bismo 2,5 dolara po satu. Problem je bio u tome što smo, da bismo ispravno postavili tračnice, morali mjeriti inčima i stopama, ali budući da smo iz Hrvatske, znali smo samo metrički sustav”.

Što je Steve učinio?

“Ivo i ja smo otišli u željezaru, kupili ravnalo i na zidu u našem stanu počeli smo pretvarati centimetre u inče. Te smo večeri naučili koristiti inče i stope, a sljedećeg dana bili smo spremni za posao. Prvi dan smo radili malo sporije od tadašnje ekipe, drugi dan smo bili jednako brzi, a treći dan smo bili daleko brži”.

Ivo i Steve tada su dobili posao na sedam mjeseci. Radili su, uštedjeli novac i naposljetku stigli do Los Angelesa, gdje su čuli da ima boljih izgleda za posao, budući da postoji puno veća hrvatska zajednica.

Dolazak u Los Angeles 1957.

Dvojac je stigao u LA jer je htio raditi u građevinarstvu, našao je smještaj kod obitelji Vasilj, no jedini posao bio je u GM-ovoj tvornici automobila.

“Mislio sam da ću poludjeti, stavljajući vrata na aute osam sati dnevno. Ivo i ja smo tada odlučili kupiti građevinsku tvrtku od Filipa Dražića za 3500 američkih dolara uz plaćanje mjesečne najamnine. Lokacija je bila na hektar površine, u blizini ulice Dohenyja i Santa Monice, što je danas vrhunska nekretnina. Trebao sam kupiti tu nekretninu, ali su me nagovarali da to ne napravim, a to je bila velika greška. To je bio posljednji put da sam slušao druge. Kada je imovina koju sam mogao kupiti za 30 tisuća dolara na posudbu na kraju prodana za 125 tisuća dolara, tada sam odlučio da se nikada ne pokolebam od ulaganja u nešto što mislim da je vrijedno truda. Mogao sam imati novac koji mi je bio potreban da se vratim u Austriju, gdje sam planirao živjeti do kraja života”.

Sudbina je ipak odlučila drugačije. Ivo i Steve zadržali su se u građevini, ali su počeli raditi u tada najvećoj podzemnoj građevinskoj tvrtki Dan Miller, u vlasništvu Hrvata Petrovića. Nakon što je Steveov predradnik shvatio koliko je on marljiv, upoznao ga je s Petrovićem, koji mu je odmah dao da radi na buldožeru. Kada su naučili različite aspekte poslovanja, Ivo i Steve odlučili su otvoriti posao podzemne gradnje.

Kako je vrijeme odmicalo, Steve i Ivo sporazumno su se razišli. Ivo je dobio posao zidara, a Steve podzemne gradnje. U međuvremenu, Steveova prva kuća, koju je kupio za 18 tisuća dolara, bila je prisilno prodana državi Kaliforniji jer je ista planirala izgraditi autocestu preko njegova posjeda. Kuća je prodana za 35 tisuća dolara. Zarađujući novac kroz posao i svoj dom, junak naše priče odlučio je pričekati još malo dok se ne vrati u Austriju. Trebalo je zaraditi više novca. Tada nije znao da to neće biti jedini razlog ostanka.

Louise

Louise Semon bila je potpuna suprotnost Steveu. Bila je malena, dok je Steve bio visok 196 centimetara. Dok je Steve bio buran, Louise je bila tiha. Steve je bio na glasu kao izazivač nevolja, Louise je bila knjigovotkinja u župi. Nisam mogla ne pitati kako su se upoznali. U to je vrijeme Louise imala 21, a Steve 27 godina.

Louise odgovara: “Živjela sam niz ulicu od hrvatske katoličke crkve sv. Ante u središtu Los Angelesa. Išla sam pješice na ples do crkvene dvorane s tatom kada je kabriolet Chevy Impala (1958.) pokrenuo motor, gume su škripale i napravio je oštar polukrug. Moj tata je automatski odmahnuo glavom i uzviknuo: ‘Kakav luđak!’

Louise nije vidjela vozača prije nego što je krenula u dvoranu na ples. Nakon nekog vremena, Steve je ušao, pozdravio svoje prijatelje, a zatim ugledao Louise. Zamolio ju je za ples, a kasnije joj je ponudio da je odveze kući. Kada je vidjela kako se približava Impali, shvatila je da mu nije suđeno da bude u njezinoj budućnosti. Mislila je da njezin otac to nikada ne bi odobrio. Drugi bi tip možda odustao, ali ne i Steve. Shvaćajući važnost obitelji u hrvatskoj kulturi, Steve je pokazao svoje iskrene namjere, a uz odobrenje Louiseinih roditelja, dvojac se vjenčao 23. rujna 1961. godine.

Obiteljski čovjek

Kada sam pitala Louise je li Steve razmazio njihovo dvoje djece, Nicka i Stephanie, ona je odlučno odgovorila: “Ne”. Zapravo, Steve je vjerovao u tešku ljubav, izraz koji znači odgajati djecu postavljanjem čvrstih granica.

“Vjerujem da ništa dobro ne proizlazi samo iz davanja. Želio sam da moja djeca imaju bolji život nego što sam ja imao, ali sam htio i da cijene rad. Dakle, kada je sin želio raditi za moju tvrtku, počeo je kao i svi ostali – intenzivnim fizičkim poslom. Nick je tada napredovao do mjesta na kojem je danas”.

Poslovni čovjek i filantrop

Danas u Hrvatskoj Bubalo posjeduje VRANU koja zapošljava 135-ero radnika i Didin Konak u Osijeku koji zapošljava 25-ero djelatnika. U Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama obitelj Bubalo posjeduju Steve Bubalo Construction Co koju vodi John Schiller i SLS&N na čijem je čelu Nick Bubalo. Osnovali su i vlastiti fond za stipendiranje.

Steve, koliko prilika dajete ljudima?
Samo jednu. Ako ta osoba iznevjeri, gotovo je. Previše je vrijednih i poštenih ljudi da bih gubio vrijeme na one koji ne cijene druge.

Louise, koja je kvaliteta kojoj se divite kod Stevea na poslu?
On svakoga poznaje po imenu. Sa svima se rukuje. Nije važno kakvu poziciju imaju. Prema svima se odnosi s poštovanjem i zna, ne samo ime svake osobe koja radi u nekoj od tvrtki, već i imena njihove djece i imena njihovih supružnika.

Steve, što danas vidite kao najveći problem u Hrvatskoj?
Ideju da svi misle kako trava izgleda zelenije s druge strane. Naši mladi tamo danas mogu putovati u bilo koju zemlju svijeta i traže priliku izvan granica Hrvatske, ali ono što ja danas vidim je da je uz malo kapitala i ulaganja u Hrvatsku samo nebo granica.

Steve, Los Angeles je vrlo raširen grad, a zbog koronavirusa i drugih izazova naši mladi ljudi možda nisu tako kohezivni kao u drugim hrvatskim imigrantskim zajednicama. Što mislite kako možemo riješiti taj problem?

Upravo smo dobili novog svećenika u crkvi svetog Ante, don Ivana Jordana. Mlad je, pobožan i motiviran. Mislim da je odgovor na njemu i što može osnažiti one u crkvi da motiviraju naše mlade na okupljanje i druženje. Imam puno vjere u novog svećenika.

Sada, kada ste u mirovini, kako provodite vrijeme?
Ja volim imati sve pod kontrolom pa svakodnevno čitam izvješća iz svih svojih tvrtki i uvijek sam u potrazi za novim prilikama za doniranje ili ulaganje. Upravo smo izgradili novu školu u mom rodnom gradu u kojoj se ljudi mogu okupljati.

Imate li novi hobi u mirovini?
Počeo sam kuhati. Za večeru je gulaš od volovskog repa.

Čujem da ste ljubitelj nogometa poput mene. Koji su vam omiljeni timovi?
U Hrvatskoj, Dinamo. Izvan domovine, Liverpool.

Pitanje za oboje, imate li omiljenih igrača?
Luka Modrić.

I na kraju Steve, kako biste voljeli da vas pamte?
Kao dobrog Hrvata i dobru osoba.

EN

Few among us know right away what they want when it’s time to make a profound decision. One such man is Croatian-American Steve Bubalo, who came to the United States as a refugee in 1955 and became a force to be reckoned with.

Determination, stubbornness, loyalty, and hard work are the traits that have been instrumental in Steve’s becoming one of the most successful Croatians throughout the diaspora. There is not a Croatian in Los Angeles that does not know of Steve’s reputation as being a sincere Croatian and American patriot, devoted husband and father, shrewd businessman, and overall good and generous person.

Steve describes himself as being a very communicative and outgoing individual. His wife of over 60 years, Louise, adds the descriptors fair and honest to the growing list of adjectives. After sitting down for a heart-to-heart interview with the lovely couple to give readers insight into the heart and mind of the man that Steve has always been, I would add unbelievably charming, down-to-earth, direct, and positively competitive.

Before coming to America

Born as the fourth of seven children in the small and poor village of Hradomilje, four kilometers outside of the city of Ljubuški, a stronghold of Croatian Catholics, Steve vehemently opposed communism. When WWII ended, Steve was 13 years old. He refused to till his family’s land since the Communist government demanded what was to be planted. He decided to take a different path. His acceptance into the highly selective aeromechanic apprentice program in Mostar was brought to a swift end once his background check was completed to reveal his family’s anti-Communist sentiments. It was then that the seeds of escape became planted. He didn’t yet know how, but he knew he did not want to live in Yugoslavia, and once Steve set his mind to a goal, Steve realized it, even if it meant that he needed to be patient.

He knew that he would have to keep his intentions to escape a secret; there was a heavy presence of spies and government informants in his area, but no one knew who they were. It wasn’t until Steve was ordered to report for the mandatory military service that he would finally figure out a way to escape.

Steve explains his journey from border soldier to escapee:

“In the 6-month military bootcamp for basic training at Delnice, I caught the eye of the captain because I was friendly, always completed my tasks without errors and complaints, and I played soccer better than the others. Even though the captain was a loyal communist, he offered me a way out of a bleak future by way of recommendation into the Yugoslav Military Academy, which at the time was considered a great honor. Once one graduated as an officer, it was a sure way to have status, a good salary, and powerful position. I turned him down flat. No way was I going to work for the Yugoslav military. The captain became angry and shocked, but he had no way of knowing that I wasn’t planning on staying in the country.

After six months of basic training, we were dispatched to the border, but the problem was that we had no idea which border we were assigned to until we were halfway there. Being assigned to the Hungarian or Romanian borders, where there was a lot of tension and unrest, meant the likelihood of getting wounded or killed was high. It wasn’t until 3:00 A.M. that the soldiers with me and I realized the train we were on was heading toward the northern Adriatic Coast, and that meant I was going to be guarding the border with Italy.”

Steve smiled, knowing that his objective of escape was near. The only unknown was how. It took him only three days upon reaching his destination in Istria to figure out how to find the opportunity to make it to freedom. He had to walk over a steep mountain that served as the border between Yugoslavia and Italy. Armed with two grenades and a military machine gun slung across his chest and shoulder, he ploughed up the mountain through the deep snow for hours in his Yugoslav army uniform until he reached its peak. Looking down he could see the markings indicating the Italian border.

Steve describes his arrival into Italy:

“You couldn’t get me down that hill fast enough. I was sweating even though it was a cold day in March. When I entered the police post, the three Italian officers there froze. All of a sudden, they saw this 6’5” guy dressed like a commando with a machine gun slung around the shoulder and chest. It was then that one of them realized I was wearing the black Yugoslav army uniform and asked me ‘Scappato?’

It meant ‘escaped’ and it was the first and most beautiful Italian word I ever learned. My answer was a resounding yes.”

“They started hugging me and offering me food and drink. Then, I was transported to Udine where I underwent 12 days of interrogation. Italy and Yugoslavia were having tension over disputed land along the border, and the Italians tried to get as much information as they could from me. After that, I was sent to a refugee camp in Frascati (in the region of Rome), but due to the tensions in the Trieste area, there was a strong possibility that I would be selected as one of the unlucky ones to be exchanged for Italian prisoners held by the Yugoslav government. My photo was in all the Italian papers as being a soldier who had escaped. Going back to Yugoslavia did not mean just going to jail for me. After I escaped from Yugoslavia, I was tried in absentia and sentenced to death for deserting the military. If I ever stepped foot on Yugoslav soil again, I was to be immediately executed. It was time to get out of Italy, and fast, before they realized what a good trade I would make.

Through the help of a Franciscan priest who had known my cousin, a Franciscan priest in Siroki Brijeg, I was able to make contact with the head of St. Jerome’s in Rome, Professor Draganovic, who agreed to help me and two other refugees from the camp get out of Italy for Austria. We had to tear up any documents showing that we had been in Italy because if it were known that we escaped from Italy into Austria, the Austrians would have had to deport us to Yugoslavia. Therefore, we had to get into Austria, making it look like we had come from Yugoslavia, not Italy. It was a risk, but one that we had to take. There were more and more Croatian refugees disappearing from the Frascati camp at night. Italian police would come in the middle of the night, round up a few Croatian refugees and transport them to the border to make exchanges with the Yugoslav authorities.”

Steve made it across the border with the help of unnamed men arranged by Professor Draganovic, and after successfully making the Austrian authorities believe he had just escaped from Yugoslavia, Steve and his companions were placed in a refugee camp in Linz, Austria.

While in Austria, Steve applied for immigration to the USA, where he had an uncle living in Watsonville, CA. It took Steve two years in the camp to get his papers, and in 1955, he arrived in San Francisco.

The New American

At the age of 21, Steve was on his way as a legal immigrant to San Francisco where his uncle was waiting for him. His first two jobs were as a migrant worker, picking apricots and apples, and then later, strawberries for 95 cents an hour. It was in San Francisco that he met up with his friend, Ivo Bacan, who had been with him in the camp in Austria. That friendship would be very meaningful in bringing Steve a long way.

“Ivo and I were roommates, we worked together, and we saved up money together to buy a car. We went to Croatian festivals together, where we found a guy who could get us into doing labor on construction sites. Our job was to lay the tracks for the wagons of sand and water mixture to be transported to the construction sites. The problem was that the guys who had been doing this were slow, and we were given a deal that we could not turn down. If we could work faster and save the 2-to-3- day delay caused by the other guys’ slow work, we would have a full-time job for the duration of the project and make $2.50 per hour.”

Game on.

“The problem was that in order to lay the tracks correctly, we needed to measure using inches and feet, but since we were from Croatia, we only knew the metric system.”

So, what did Steve do?

“Ivo and I went into a hardware store, bought a ruler and on the wall in our apartment, we started converting the centimeters to inches. That night we learned how to use inches and feet, and by the next day, we were ready to work. The first day we worked a little slower than the regular crew, by the second way were just as fast, and by the third day we were way faster.”

Needless to say, he and Ivo got the 7-month job. They worked, saved money, and eventually made it down to Los Angeles, where they heard there were better job prospects since there was a much bigger Croatian community.

Coming to L.A.

In 1957, Ivo and Steve arrived in LA because they wanted to work in construction. They were offered a place to stay with the Vasilj family. The only work they could find at the time was at a GM auto factory.”

Steve: “I thought I was going to go crazy, putting doors on cars eight hours a day. Ivo and I decided to buy a masonry company from Filip Drazic for $3,500 USD and to whom we paid monthly rent. The location was an acre near Doheny on Santa Monica Blvd, which is today considered prime real estate. I should have bought that property, but I was persuaded not to, and that was a big mistake. When the property that I could have bought for 30K on loan was eventually sold for 125K, I decided then and there not to ever be swayed from investing in something that I thought was worthwhile. I could have had the money I needed to return to Austria, where I had planned on living the rest of my life.”

Fate had other plans.

Ivo and Steve kept their masonry business, but also started working in the biggest underground construction company at the time, Dan Miller, owned by a Croatian named Petrovic. Once Steve’s foreman realized how hardworking Steve was, the foreman introduced him to Petrovic, who immediately gave him a job working the bulldozer. After learning different aspects of the business, Ivo and Steve decided to open up an underground construction business.

As time went on, Steve and Ivo amicably split. Ivo got the masonry business and Steve took over the underground construction business. In the meantime, Steve’s first house, which he had bought for 18K was being forcibly sold to the State of California under the law of eminent domain, because the State had plans to build the Glendale Freeway through his property. The house was sold for 35K. Making money through business and his house, Steve decided he could wait a little longer until he realized his initial plans of returning to Austria. There was more money to be made. He didn’t know at the time that was not going to be the only reason to stay.

Louise

Louise Semon was the exact opposite of Steve. Louise was petite, whereas Steve towered at 6’5.” Whereas Steve was boisterous, Louise was soft-spoken. Steve had a reputation as a troublemaker; Louise was a bookkeeper for the local Croatian parish.

I couldn’t help asking how they met. At the time, Louise was 21 and Steve was 27.

Louise: “I lived down the street from St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church in downtown L.A. I was walking to a dance at the church hall with my dad when a 1958 convertible Chevy Impala revved its engine, tires screeching and peeling rubber, made a sharp U-turn and parked farther down from where we were standing. My dad automatically shook his head and exclaimed, “What a nut!”

Louise did not see the driver before she went into the dance. After a while, Steve came in, greeted his friends, and then saw Louise. He asked her to dance and when they left the dance, Steve offered to drive her home. When she saw him approaching the Impala, she realized that he was not meant to be in her future. Her father would never approve. Another guy might have given up, but not Steve. Understanding the importance of family in the Croatian culture, Steve showed his sincere intentions, and with Louise’s parents’ approval, Steve and Louise were married on September 23, 1961.

The Family Man

When I asked Louise if he spoiled their two children, Nick and Stephanie, she emphatically replied no. In fact, Steve believed in tough love. He explains: “I believe that nothing good comes out of just giving. I wanted my children to have a better life than I had had, but I also wanted them to value hard work. So, when my son wanted to work for my company, he started out just like everyone else – by doing labor. Nick then worked his way up to where he is today.”

Bubalo: Businessman and Philanthropist

Today, in Croatia, the Bubalos own VRANA, employing 135 people Croatia, along with Didin Konak in Osijek, employing 25 people.

In the United States, the Bubalos own Steve Bubalo Construction Co run by John Schiller and SLS&N run by Nick Bubalo.

They also set up their own scholarship fund which provides scholarships to students in need from Croatia.

Final Q & A

Gina: How many chances do you give people?

Steve: One. If that person blows it, I am done. There are too many hardworking and honest people to waste my time on those who don’t appreciate others.

Gina: Louise, what is a quality that you admire about Steve at work?

Louise: He knows everyone by name. He shakes everyone’s hands. It doesn’t matter what position they have. He treats everyone with respect and knows not only the name of each person working for any of the Bubalo companies, but he knows their kids’ names and their spouses’ names.

Gina: What do you see as the biggest problem in Croatia today?

Steve: The idea that everyone thinks the grass looks greener on the other side. Our young people there can travel to any country in the world today, and they seek opportunity outside of Croatia’s borders, but what I see today is that with a little bit of capital and investment into Croatia, the sky is the limit.

Gina: Los Angeles is a very spread-out city, and due to Covid and other challenges, our young people are maybe not as cohesive as in other Croatian immigrant communities. How do you think we can resolve this problem?

Steve: We just got a new priest at St. Anthony’s, Father Ivan Jordan. He is young, devout, and motivated. I think that the answer lies with him and what he can empower those in the church to do to motivate our young people to gather and socialize. I have a lot of faith in the new priest.

Gina: Now, that you are retired, how do you spend your time?

Steve: Well, I am a bit of a control freak, so I read reports from all my businesses on a daily basis, and I am always looking for new opportunities to donate to or invest in. We just built a new school in my hometown where people can gather.

Gina: What do you do for fun?

Steve: I have taken up cooking. I’m making oxtail stew for dinner tonight.

Gina: I hear you are a soccer aficionado like I am. What are your favorite teams?

Steve: In Croatia, Dinamo. Outside of Croatia, Liverpool

Gina: Any favorite players?

Louise and Steve: Luka Modric.

Gina: Final question: How would you like to be remembered?

Steve: As a good Croatian and a good person.

Well, I think he already achieved that;)

Gina Pilić, American-born Croatian

Ključne riječi #Hrvati u Kaliforniji #Steve Bubalo #uspješni Hrvati u dijaspori