Individual Details

Joseph Paul DiMaggio Sr

(25 Nov 1914 - 8 Mar 1999)

Events

Birth25 Nov 1914Martinez, Contra Costa, California, United States
Marriage18 Nov 1939San Francisco, California, United States - Dorothy Arnoldine Olson
MilitaryBet Feb 1943 and Sep 1945World War II
Marriage14 Jan 1953San Francisco, California, United States - Norma Jeane Mortenson
BurialMar 1999Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo, California, United States
Death8 Mar 1999Hollywood, Broward, Florida, United States
Alt nameJoe DiMaggio
MiscellaneousStory

Families

SpouseNorma Jeane Mortenson (1926 - 1962)
SpouseDorothy Arnoldine Olson (1917 - 1984)
ChildJoseph Paul DiMaggio Jr. (1941 - 1999)
FatherGiuseppe DiMaggio (1872 - 1949)
MotherRosalia Mercurio (1878 - 1951)

Notes

Miscellaneous

Joe DiMaggio Sr.: The Fisherman Father of a Baseball Dynasty
Joe DiMaggio Sr. was more than just the father of a baseball legend — he was the patriarch of one of America’s most iconic sports families. Born in Isola delle Femmine, Sicily, in 1872, he immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, settling in Martinez, California, before moving to San Francisco.
A hard-working fisherman by trade, DiMaggio Sr. spent most of his life on the waters of San Francisco Bay. He was known for his strong work ethic, traditional values, and deep pride in his Sicilian roots. He and his wife, Rosalia, raised a large family, instilling in their children the same discipline and drive that carried his sons — most famously Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper — to national fame.
Though he didn’t understand baseball at first and famously disapproved of his sons skipping fishing work to play, Joe Sr. would eventually see three of them — Vince, Joe, and Dom DiMaggio — play in the Major Leagues. His legacy is not only as a hardworking immigrant, but as the quiet cornerstone of one of baseball’s most remarkable families.