Croatian Genealogy Newsletter Issue No. 27, 2018
In the 19th Century there were a number of individuals who left Mali Lošinj in western Croatia, when it was known as Lussinpiccolo
and part of the Austrian Empire and settled in America. The first article shows the location and year of arrival for the
early immigrants. One of these was Francesco (Frank) Buble the great-great-grandfather of Michael Bublé, the Canadian singer who grew up in Canada. His family story and genealogy forms the second article in this issue.
Click on the Current issue links to read more.
Current issue:
Subject and Location Index
Past Issues
Books: within Croatia
in diaspora
Croatian Genealogy: Primer
Early Mali Lošinj Settlers in the United States and Canada
On the Atlantic Coast
On the Gulf of Mexico Coast
On the Pacific Coast
The Family of Michael Bublé, with an Istrian-Italian Heritage
In Saint Martin's Cemetery in Lussinpiccolo you will find the following inscription on one of the grave markers:
Al dilettissimo consorte Francesco Buble / d’anni 39 + il 25.8.1909 / Gallovich Antonio
Francesco Buble (1870- 1909) was the great-great grandfather of Michael Bublé, the famous Canadian singer and songwriter who has produced seven albums to date. Michael Bublé was born September 9, 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia. He married Luisana Lopilato on 31 Mar 2011 in Buenos Aires and they have two children, four year old Noah and Elias, who will be two years old this coming January. Michael became an Italian citizen in 2005 by way of jus sanguinis (by right of his ancestor’s Italian heritage).
Before Maria Radoslovich died in Vancouver in 1963 she had the marker inscribed. The Radoslovich family is a long standing one from Lussinpiccolo and originally had come to the town from the nearby island of Unie. There is some uncertain where the Buble family came from, but Francesco Buble married Maria Radoslovich and both were from Lussinpiccolo. The Francesco Radoslovich on the inscription was Maria’s father. The Antonio Gallovich from the monument was the father of Olga Anna Maria Gallovich, who in 1927 married Michel Buble at Sacred Heart Church, Port Guichon, British Columbia. Olga's Gallovich family was originally from Bersezio or Berscez, modern day Brsec, on the east coast of Istria.
Michel's grandson is Lewis Bublé, who is married to Amber Santaga. The Santaga family was originally from Preganziol, between Treviso and Venice in Veneto. Lewis is President & Chair of Gulf & Fraser Financial Group, as well as VP of the Board of Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Mutual Insurance Company. Michael Bublé spent six summers working as a commercial fisherman with his father. He said, "I come from a long line of fishermen, working-class men who worked hard and devoted themselves to family. They’re macho Italian men, and they’re proud of what they’ve earned."
Lewis Bublé is also a Co-Owner of the Vancouver Giants WHL Hockey Team. Another descendant of a Lussinpiccolo family connected to hockey was Joseph Jean Etenne Stanislas Cattarinich who became one of the owners of the Montreal Canadiens in 1921. Michael Bublé wanted to play hockey for the Vancouver Canucks when he was growing up. He mentions that, "When my parents would leave me to babysit, I’d tell Crystal or Brandee [his younger sisters] to put on my big padded hockey pants and play goalie so I could practise shooting pucks off them. I was obsessed with hockey, my second greatest passion next to music."
Michael has always been close to his grandparents. "A huge part of my childhood was devoted to my grandparents” he said. “They played as big a role in my life as my mother and father, which is fairly typical of Italian immigrant families." He goes on to say, "My dad’s father Frank was born in Vancouver, and his side of the family is from Dalmatia, originally Italian territory that became part of Yugoslavia after the Second World War. On that side of the family, some say we’re Yugoslavian, others that we’re Italian."
This article was original published in the Bolletin of the Club Giuliano-Dalmato di Toronto, December, 2017.
Sources:
(http://ethnicelebs.com/michael-buble;https://www.today.com/news/onstage-offstage-michael-buble-looks-back-his-roots-wbna45403070;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Buble;
https://www.gffg.com/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/Governance/MeetBoard)
1. Frank Buble was born about 1870. He died on 25 Aug 1909.
Frank married Maria Radoslovich daughter of Francesco (Frank) Radoslovich and Giacomina Picinich. Maria was born on 24 Mar 1879. She died on 13 Feb 1963 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
They had the following children:
2. Michele Bublé (Frank) was born about 1905 in Lussinpiccolo.
Michele married Olga Anna Maria Gallovich (Gallowich) daughter of Antonio Gallovich and Maria Massalin (Manolino) on 9 May 1927 in Sacred Heart Church, Port Guichon, British Columbia. Olga was born on 14 Nov 1905 in Lussinpiccolo. She died on 27 Feb 1977 in Burnaby, British Columbia.
They had the following children:
Marie married Mario .
3. Frank Bublé (Michele, Frank) was born about 1928. He died on 15 Sep 2002.
They had the following children:
6. Lewis Bublé (Frank, Michele, Frank). Lewis married Amber Santagà daughter of Demetrio Santagà. Lewis is President & Chair of Gulf & Fraser Financial Group, as well as VP of the Board of Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Mutual Insurance Company. Lewis still remains active in the fishing industry. He is also a Co-Owner of the Vancouver Giants WHL Hockey Team, and operates Winning Edge Management Inc. The Santaga family was originally from Preganziol, Province of Treviso, Veneto.
They had the following children:
9. Michael Bublé (Lewis, Frank, Michele, Frank) was born on 9 Sep 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia. Michael married Luisana Lopilato on 31 Mar 2011 in Buenos Aires.
He also became an Italian citizen in 2005.
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