Autor ‘hrvatskog’ festivala u Cincinnatiju: Mislili su da sam lud, a danas svatko ovdje voli doći

Red glazbe, red hrane i red kulture… To je protekli vikend obilježilo Cincinnati, grad u američkoj saveznoj državi Ohio koji je bio domaćin 24. Festivala umjetnosti i vina. Ova priča našim čitateljima vjerojatno ne bi bila zanimljiva da organizator događaja nije Vinarija Vinoklet i da iza nje ne stoji “hrvatska ideja”… “Glavni cilj nam je […]

Novi državljani starosti su između sedam i 63 godine. Mnogi od njih imali su suze u očima jer su konačno ostvarili svoje snove da budu priznati kao Hrvati.

Svečanost polaganja prisege predvodila je generalna konzulica Renee Pea iz hrvatskog konzulata u Los Angelesu, koji nadzire prijave iz više od deset američkih država.

Veliki jubilej hrvatske zajednice u Hamiltonu. Na proslavu dolazi i predsjednik Milanović

Hrvatska župa svetog Križa u Hamiltonu poziva sve zainteresirane na slavlje povodom svog 65. rođendana i 54. godišnjice izgradnje i posvete nove crkve u tom kanadskom gradu. Godine 1958. Joseph Francis Ryan, tadašnji biskup u Hamiltona, na inicijativu brojnih hrvatskih doseljenika i štovatelja utemeljio je Župu svetog Križa. Nedugo nakon toga započela je i izgradnja […]

Prema informacijama koje smo dobili, ovo je bila najveća svečanost prisege hrvatskih državljana do sad u svijetu.

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 […]

Elizabeta i njezina obitelj s prijateljicom Kathryn Michelle posjeduje producentsku kuću „Almost Normal Productions” koja se nalazi u Los Angelesu u Kaliforniji. Njihov posljednji film „The Accursed” (“Prokleti”), u kojem glume Goran Višnjić i Vidovićeva kći Izabela, triler je koji opisuje borbu jedne žene da spasi svoju obitelj od desetljeća starog prokletstva.

Dok su mnogi filmaši imali luksuz veze preko obitelji i prijatelja, ili su odrasli u filmskoj industriji, pozadina junakinje naše priče potpuno je drugačija.

Elizabeta Vidović odrasla je u malom mjestu Busovača u Bosni. Nije bila školovana za glumicu. Umjesto toga, od nje se očekivalo da se skrasi, napravi dobar burek i odgaja djecu. Srećom, godine 1990. dobila je poziv tete iz Chicaga da joj dođe u posjet.

Na pitanje što ju je motiviralo na dolazak, iako nije imala većih veza ili glumačkog iskustva, naša sugovornica odgovara: “Nisam imala što izgubiti, a mogla sam sve dobiti. Znala sam da ću, ako se odlučim na nešto, pronaći način da to ostvarim”.

A Elizabeta je upravo to i učinila. Bacila se na učenje engleskog jezika, a sada ne samo da ga može govoriti tečno i točno, već to čini i s naglaskom izvornog govornika iz SAD-a. Dok je studirala engleski, planirala je korake kako bi ostvarila svoje ciljeve u glumačkoj industriji. Išla je u kozmetičku školu kako bi imala zvanje od kojeg bi zarađivala, ​​dok je istovremeno pohađala kazalište Michael Colucci’s Actor’s Workshop Theatre u Chicagu. Nakon pet godina žongliranja engleskim, rada kao frizerke i studija kod Coluccija, shvatila je da, iako voli glumiti u kazalištu, jako želi producirati i režirati. Pod Coluccijevim vodstvom naučila je sve detalje produkcije kazališta.

Tek 1998. godine uspjela se vratiti u Bosnu i posjetiti svoju obitelj…

“Živeći u Chicagu osam godina, veliki dio mog života činila je američka zajednica. Morala sam se ponovno povezati sa svojom obitelji i životom kod kuće”, otkrila je naša sugovornica.

Tijekom posjeta domovini počela je promatrati svoj grad, čije je stanovništvo smanjeno s 20 tisuća prije Domovinskog rata na 15 tisuća nakon rata, i proučavala ljude kao likove u filmu. Shvatila je koliko joj nedostaju jednostavne stvari, poput rituala kuhanja i ispijanja turske kave uz čavrljanje s prijateljima. Kao aktivna rimokatolkinja također je shvatila koliku su ulogu vjera i Bog imali u svakodnevnom životu tamošnjih žena.

Svi su govorili „Bog te blagoslovio” ili su se križali prije jela. Posjet se pretvorio u to da je posebnu pažnju posvetila ženama u gradu koje su ostale snažne, iako su mnoge ostale udovice i siročad iz borbi tijekom rata.

“Duša Bosne su njezine žene. Hrvatice sve rade s dušom. Ulažu srce u sve što rade i bezuvjetno vole svoju obitelj”, istaknula je Vidović.

S tom spoznajom počela je raditi na scenariju koji će umjesto tipičnog ratnog filma dočarati ljepotu Bosne i snagu Hrvatica koje tamo žive. Tijekom tog posjeta povezala se sa svojim starim srednjoškolskim prijateljem Marijom, za kojeg se kasnije udala i živjela u Chicagu.

Do 2011. rodila je dvije kćeri, napisala desetak scenarija i zainteresirala se za snimanje filmova. Iz svog istraživanja i iskustva znala je da se treba približiti Hollywoodu.

Novi svećenik među Hrvatima u Los Angelesu: Puno je bilo razloga za ne ići u Ameriku

Sv. Antun Padovanski prati don Ivana Jordana od početka njegova svećeničkog djelovanja – župe u Dragama do župe sv. Ante u Los Angelesu. Ističe da ga je Isusu doveo njegov djed i da je još od djetinjstva bio predodređen da bude svećenik, a on se otvorena srca predao Bogu o čemu svjedoči njegovo mladomisničko geslo: […]

Kada je došla u Los Angeles ponovno je bila uronjena u američku zajednicu. Jedino je kod kuće govorila hrvatski i nije znala ni gdje je hrvatska zajednica u Los Angelesu. Tek kada joj je majka došla u posjet i zahtijevala da pronađe misu na hrvatskom jeziku, Elizabeta je otkrila hrvatsku katoličku crkvu sv. Ante u središtu Los Angelesa.

“Preselila sam se u Los Angeles 2002. i bavila se glumom sve do 2006., kada sam napravila kratku pauzu kako bih dobila svoju drugu kći Katarinu. Po povratku 2007. počela sam pisati i planirala sam se vratiti produkciji i režiji. U međuvremenu se moja starija Izabela počela baviti glumom, što je malo pomaknulo planove. Počela sam mentorirati njezinu karijeru i putovati s njom, Ovo je vrijeme mog života koje sam provela razvijajući projekte, putujući zrakoplovima, vlakovima i automobilima! Razvila sam desetke projekata i producirala nekoliko kratkih filmova i dugometražnih filmova. Sve je bilo tako nevjerojatno kaotično”. prisjetila se Elizabeta.

Kako je bilo ući u hrvatsku zajednicu u Los Angelesu?

Sjećam se da smo se osjećali dobrodošlo. Prišao nam je pokojni gospodin Pero Matijašević i dočekao nas raširenih ruku. Naglasio je da ako nešto trebamo, samo se moramo obratiti, a on će pomoći koliko može. I suprug i ja bili smo emotivni na njegovu pogrebu jer je on bio naš prvi susret, i to pozitivan, naša povezanost s našim naslijeđem u ovom gradu. Gradu koji nije mogao biti drugačiji od mog rodnog mjesta u Bosni.

Primjećujem da čitate drugo čitanje u hrvatskoj crkvi u Los Angelesu. Kako je do toga došlo?

Don Vlatko Poljičak, tadašnji svećenik župe Sv. Ante koji je inače iz Kupresa, pitao je tko želi čitati. Nitko se nije dobrovoljno javio pa sam podigla ruku i nekako od tada to radim. Volim ako nekako mogu doprinijeti župi.

Koliko Vam je važna vjera?

To mi je jako važno. Kroz molitvu možemo otkriti sebe. Vjerujem da s Bogom razjasnimo što želimo, a on pokreće svemir da se to i ostvari. Možda nas odanost držanju svojih uvjerenja drži prizemljenima i usredotočenima.

Kako ste došli do naziva „Almost Normal Productions”, što se doslovno može prevesti kao „Skoro pa Normalna Filmska Produkcija”?

Pa… Radim gotovo sve što radi tradicionalna Hrvatica kada je u pitanju vođenje doma i odgoj djece. Postoji još jedna stvar koju volim raditi, a to je da snimam filmove. Dakle, to što moja predanost obitelji ide paralelno s mojom ljubavlju prema snimanju filmova je, u očima čak i članova moje obitelji, gotovo normalno! Mislim, doslovno sam čula ljude kako govore: ‘Ona putuje svijetom s jednim djetetom, dok je drugo kod kuće’. Nije da bi uopće trebalo biti važno što ljudi govore, ali zanimljivo je imati prozor u tuđu percepciju svega toga. Tako sam na povratku s jedne od njezinih audicija pitala svoju stariju kćer: ‘Što misliš o Almost Normal za produkcijsku tvrtku?’ I bez oklijevanja je odgovorila: ‘To te super opisuje mama’. Znala sam da sam pogodila pravo ime.

Kakva je filmska scena u Los Angelesu?

Los Angeles je poput tobogana, kreće se tako brzo. Ili ćete moći ostati na njemu i naučiti uživati ​​u vožnji, ili ćete odmah biti izbačeni! To je posao onih koji su najizdržljiviji!

Kći Izabela bila je u većini Vaših filmova. Kako je raditi s njom?

Pa, ja sam joj mentor od njezine sedme godine. Ona piše, glumi, producira i režira. Izvan seta smo jako bliske. Problem je na snimanju gdje moram zapamtiti da je tretiram kao kolegicu ili filmašicu umjesto kao svoju kći. Na primjer, poludim ako mislim da nije dovoljno toplo odjevena ili ako nije pojela svu hranu na tanjuru. Došlo je do točke kada je morala sjesti sa mnom i reći: ‘Mama, ovo mora prestati’. Dakle, prestala sam ju gnjaviti. A svakako volim raditi sa svojom obitelji.

Koja je najveća razlika između stranih i američkih filmaša?

Smatram da strani filmaši imaju više umjetničke slobode budući da su mnogi njihovi filmovi financirani od države, tako da mogu producirati bilo koji žanr i samo se fokusirati na umjetnost. U Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama postoji veći pritisak na povrat ulaganja. Mislim da su najuspješnije nezavisne produkcijske kuće koje su svladale umijeće žongliranja komercijalnih i umjetničkih filmova. Ja sam zadužena za financiranje svojih filmova, a moram pokazati ROI kako bi se moji budući projekti realizirali. Uglavnom, moram prodati ideju ulagačima.

Spomenuli ste da se ste prava Hrvatica. Što to znači?

Pričamo kako jest. Ne okolišamo. To je gubljenje vremena. Također ne govorimo stvari samo da bi se netko osjećao bolje ako je očito da ne možemo promijeniti ono što se događa. Sjećam se da sam jednom bila u Dubrovniku s obitelji i bilo je na stotine komaraca u našem stanu. Kada sam se požalila vlasnici, ona me samo pogledala i rekla: ‘Pa mi imamo komarce stoljećima; nije da su došli samo po tebe’.

Kakve vrste filmova snimate i koje bi još željeli snimiti?

Ne ograničavam se ni na jedan žanr ili etiketu. Imam toliko interesa i poznato je da svoje ideje zapisujem svugdje, u vlaku, automobilu, taksiju… Zaista sam fascinirana horor i triler filmovima. A kada kažem horor, ne mislim na slasher filmove (u kojima je mnogo krvi i ubojstva). Horor filmovi, po mom mišljenju, nastoje iznijeti folklor. Ne mislim da se sve mora precizirati, ali volim raditi sa simbolikom i tradicijom.

Glumac i plesač iz Los Angelesa: Dao sam obećanje svojoj babi da ću posjetiti korijene i obnoviti zidove stare kuće

Nostalgija, ples, povijest i ljubav prema pokretu i izražavanju te Zaostrog ključne su riječi koje povezuju ovu priču u zanimljivo iskustvo pripadanja s jedne strane plesnoj zajednici, a s druge strane jednom podrijetlu. To je znanje i sjećanje koje se nosi kao vodeni žig, nevidljiv kreativni trag s jednog dijela svijeta na drugi. Odredište iz […]

Kako je nastala ideja za film “The Accursed” i kako ste dobili Gorana Višnjića da glumi u njemu?

Scenarij sam napisala 2007. kao verziju irskog folklora. Tada je počeo poprimati romske nijanse. Međutim, nisam željela netočno prikazati bilo koju specifičnu kulturu niti nekoga uvrijediti pa sam odlučila donijeti aspekte iz različitih nasljeđa i stvorila fiktivnu zemlju Balvaniju. Znala sam da će Goran Višnjić biti savršen za tu ulogu pa sam njegovom agentu samo poslala poruku, objasnila tko sam i što radim. Goran je zatražio scenarij, svidio mu se i pristao je glumiti u našem filmu! Ženski likovi vrlo su jake volje i neovisnosti.

Čime se bavite kada ne producirate i ne režirate?

Puno čitam i dosta istražujem. Upravo sada istražujem priču o bosanskoj kraljici Katarini. Zanimaju me snažni ženski likovi kroz povijest. Volim i kuhati. Kao što znate, hrana je vrlo važna u našoj kulturi, posebno domaća. Možemo satima sjediti i jesti dok pričamo o svemu i svačemu.

Koliko je za vas važno, odnosno vrijedno, biti dio hrvatske dijaspore?

Jako važno. Moja djeca uvijek kažu da su pod velikim utjecajem svoje hrvatsko-bosanske baštine. Oni su Amerikanci, ali se razlikuju i po tome što na stvari gledaju iz svjetovnije perspektive. Budući da su bliski svojim bakama i djedovima, stječu starosvjetsku mudrost.

Kakvo je bilo Vaše odrastanje i što mislite o današnjim mladima?

Mislim da današnja mladost možda nema istu dubinu mašte. Društveni mediji, iako impresivni, postali su toliko moćni i ometajući da djeca više ne izrađuju stvari svojim rukama. Dok smo odrastali, to smo radili i za to smo morali upotrijebiti svoju maštu. S djecom sam bila vrlo stroga po pitanju mobitela. Moja 15-godišnjakinja mora dio dana živjeti bez mobitela, a ono što je nevjerojatno je kada mi kaže da ona sama ne može vjerovati u sve stvari koje radi kada nije na svom mobitelu.

Kako vidite svoju ulogu u odnosu s Hrvatima u dijaspori?

Imala sam sreću imati mentore kao odrasla osoba, a moje kćeri imaju sreću da imaju mentore u mom suprugu i meni. Vjerujem da vani imamo mnogo Hrvata sa sjajnim pričama koji jednostavno ne znaju kako svoje snove pretvoriti u stvarnost. Uvijek rado mentoriram naše ljude koji su zainteresirani za filmsku industriju.

Hrvat u Los Angelesu koji je radio posao vrijedan 22 milijuna dolara: Tajna uspjeha? Samo jedna riječ…

Velika i napredna građevinska tvrtka Mladena Buntića, specijalizirana za inženjering i gradnju infrastrukture, vodovoda, odvoda, crpnih postaja i regulacije bujica – može se pohvaliti izvođenjem brojnih složenih projekata u Los Angelesu i Južnoj Kaliforniji. “Planiram kupiti kuću za odmor u Makarskom primorju. Ako Bog dadne zdravlja, neka se nađe pri ruci za Nadu i mene; […]

Imate li kakvih planova?

Više filmova! To svakako mogu obećati…

EN

Filmmaker Elizabeta Vidović’s biography proves what most of us in the diaspora already know—never underestimate a Croatian woman. Vidović and her family, along with friend Kathryn Michelle, own the film studio Almost Normal Productions, located in Los Angeles, California. Vidović’s last film, The Accursed, starring Goran Višnjić as well as Vidovic’s daughter Izabela is a horror film that describes one woman’s fight to save her family from a decades-old curse. This film, like many others that Vidović has planned for production, was scripted, produced and directed by Vidović, Kathryn Michelle and family. While many filmmakers have had the luxury of having connections through family and friends or growing up in the movie industry, Vidović’s background is completely different.

She grew up in Busovača, Bosnia, a place that most people have never heard of, Vidović was not trained to be an actor. Instead, as she put it, she was expected to settle down, make good burek, and raise children. Fortuitously, Vidović received an invitation from her aunt, who lived in Chicago, to come to visit her in the United States. When asked what motivated her to do so even though she had no major connections or acting experience, Vidović states, “I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I knew that if I set my mind to something, I would find a way.”

And, that is precisely what Vidović did. With no knowledge of English, she threw herself into learning the language, and is now not only able to speak it fluently and accurately, but she also does so with a Midwest accent.

While studying English, she planned out the steps to bring her objectives to fruition. She went to cosmetology school so that she would have a vocation from which to make money while she simultaneously attended Michael Colucci’s Actor’s Workshop Theater in Chicago. After five years of juggling English, working as a hairdresser, and studying under Colucci, she realized that even though she loved acting in theater, she really wanted to produce and direct. Under Colucci’s guidance, she learned the ins and outs of producing theater.

It wasn’t until 1998 that she was able to go back to Bosnia and visit her family. She says, “I felt that living in Chicago for eight years, a big part of my life was the American community. I needed to reconnect with my family and life back home.” During her visit, she started looking at her town, whose population had been reduced from 20,000 from before the war to 15,000 after the war and studied the people as one would a character in a movie. She realized just how much she missed the simple things from home, such as the ritual of making Turkish coffee and drinking it while chatting with friends.

Being a practicing Roman Catholic, Vidović also realized how much of a role faith and God played in the everyday life of women there. Everyone said, “May God bless you” and made the sign of the cross before eating. The visit turned into her paying special attention to the women of the town, who had remained strong even though so many had been left widowed and orphaned from the fighting during the war. She said, “The soul of Bosnia is its women. Croatian women do everything with soul. They put their heart in everything they do and they love their family unconditionally.” It was with this realization that she started working on a script that would portray the beauty of Bosnia and the strength of Croatian women living there instead of a typical war movie. It was also during that visit, that Vidović reconnected with her old high school sweetheart, Mario, whom she later married and lived with in Chicago.

By 2011, Vidović had had two daughters, written a dozen screenplays and became interested in making films. She knew from her research and experience that she needed to move closer to Hollywood. When Vidović came to Los Angeles, she was again immersed in the American community. The only Croatian she spoke was at home with her family and she did not even know where the Croatian community in Los Angeles was. It was not until her mother came to visit her and demanded that Vidović find a mass in Croatian that Vidović discovered St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church in downtown L.A.

“I moved to LA in 2002 and was immersed in acting until 2006, when I took a short break to have my second daughter, Katarina. Upon returning in 2007, I started writing and was planning on getting back into producing, with plans to direct as well. In the meantime, my older daughter Izabela started acting, which shifted plans a bit. I started mentoring her career and traveling with her for about a decade. During the time of my life, I spent developing projects, while traveling on planes, trains and automobiles! I developed dozens of projects and produced several short films and a feature during that time. It was all so fabulously chaotic!”

What was it like entering the Croatian community in Los Angeles?

I remember how welcome we were made to feel. The late Mr. Pero Matijašević approached us and welcomed us with open arms. He emphasized that if we needed anything, we just had to reach out and he would help as much as he could. Both my husband and I got emotional at his funeral because he was our first encounter, and a positive one at that, of our connection with our heritage in this city that could not have been any more different than my hometown in Bosnia.

I notice that you do the reading in church every Sunday. How did that come about?

Don Vlatko Poljičak, the priest at the parish from Kupres, asked who wanted to do the reading. No one volunteered, so I raised my hand and kind of ended up doing it ever since. I love being able to contribute to the parish, in some capacity.

How important is your faith to you?

It is very important to me. We can discover ourselves through prayer. I believe that we clear with God what we want, and he moves the universe to make it happen. Perhaps it is devotion to sticking to our beliefs that keeps us grounded and focused.

How did you come up with the name Almost Normal Productions?

Well, I do just about everything a traditional Croatian woman does when it comes to running my home and raising my kids. But then… there is this other thing that I love to do, which is to make movies. So, being that my dedication to my family runs parallel to my love for making movies, I am almost normal in the eyes of even my own family members! I mean, I have literally heard people say, “She travels across the world with one of her kids, while the other is at home.” Not that it should really ever matter what people say, but it is interesting to have a window into others’ perception of it all. Then, on the ride back from one of Izabela’s auditions, I asked her, “What do you think of Almost Normal for the name of the production company?” And, without hesitation, she replied, “That’s so you, Mom.” I knew I had a winner.

What is the LA movie scene like for a filmmaker in your opinion?

Los Angeles is like a roller coaster; it moves so fast. Either you’re able to stay on it and learn how to enjoy the ride, or you get ejected right out! One really has to be resilient in this industry.

I know that your daughter Izabela has been in most of your films. How is it working with your daughter?

Well, I have been mentoring her since she was seven. She writes, acts, produces and directs. Off set we are very close. The problem is on set, where I have to remember to treat her as a colleague or filmmaker instead of as my daughter. For example, I freak out if I think there is a draft and she is not dressed warmly enough, or if she hasn’t eaten all the food on her plate. It got to a point where she had to sit down with me and say, “Mama, this has got to stop.” So, I stopped. I love working with my family.

What do you think is the biggest difference between foreign and American filmmakers?

I think that foreign filmmakers have more artistic freedom since many of their films are government funded, so they can produce any genre and just focus on the art. In the United States, there is more pressure on the Return on Investment (ROI). I think the most successful independent filmmakers have mastered the art of juggling commercial and artistic filmmaking. Here, I am in charge of acquiring funding for my films, and I have to show an ROI so that my future projects will be realized. Basically, I have to sell my films to the investors.

You mentioned that you are very Croatian. What does that mean?

We tell it like it is. We don’t beat around the bush. It is a waste of time. We also don’t say things just to make someone feel better if it is obvious that we cannot change what is happening. I remember one time I was in staying in a vacation rental in Dubrovnik with my family and there were hundreds of mosquitos in our apartment. When I complained to the landlady, she just looked at me and said, “Well we have had mosquitos for centuries; it is not like they came here just for you.”

Tell us about the kinds of films you make and want to make:

I don’t limit myself to any genre or label myself. I have so many interests, and I have been known to write down my ideas everywhere, on the train, in the car, in a taxi, anywhere. I do find myself fascinated with horror/thriller films. And, when I say horror, I don’t mean slasher movies. Horror/thriller films, in my opinion, tend to bring out folklore. I don’t think that everything has to be spelled out, but I love to work with symbolism and traditions.

Tell us about how your idea for the film The Accursed came about and how you got Goran Višnjić to star in it.

I wrote the screenplay in 2007 as a version of Irish folklore. Then, it started taking on Roma nuances. However, I did not want to incorrectly portray any specific culture or offend anyone, so I decided to bring aspects from different heritages and created the fictitious land of Balvania. I knew Goran Višnjić would be perfect for the part, so I just sent his agent a message, explained who I was and what I was doing. Goran requested to read the script, he liked it and he agreed to act in our film! Also, the female characters in the film are very strong willed and independent.

What do you do when you are not producing and directing?

I read a lot. I research a lot as well. Right now, I am researching the story of Queen Catherine of Bosnia. I am interested in strong female characters throughout history. I also love to cook. As you know, food is very important in our culture, especially homemade food. We can sit and eat for hours while talking about anything and everything.

Tell us how important, or valuable, for lack of a better word, being part of the Croatian diaspora is for you.

Very important. What it has done for me and what it has done for my kids is indescribable. It allowed them to find roots and people from the same corner of the world. My kids always say they are heavily influenced by their Croatian-Bosnian heritage. They are American, but they are also different in that they look at things from a more worldly perspective. Being close to their grandparents, they have acquired old world wisdom.

What is one thing that you think is very different from how you grew up and how teenagers and kids are today?

I think that youth today do not perhaps have the same depth of imagination. Social media, though impressive, has become so powerful and distracting that kids no longer make things with their hands. Growing up, we made things with our hands and had to use our imagination to do so. With my kids, I was very strict in terms of the phone. My 15-year-old has to live part of her day without her phone, and what is amazing is when she says to me that she cannot believe all the things that she is able to do when she is not on her phone.

How do you see your role in terms of interacting with Croatians in the diaspora?

I was fortunate to have mentors as an adult, and my daughters are fortunate to have mentors in my husband and me. I believe that we have many Croatians out there with great stories who just don’t know how to turn their dreams into reality. I am always happy to mentor Croatians who are interested in the film industry.

Any plans we should know about for the future?

More movies! I can promise you that;)

Hrvati u Hollywoodu: George Beban glumio je u nijemim filmovima prije više od 100 godina

Danas najpoznatiji hrvatski glumac u Americi zasigurno je Goran Višnjić. Ali Hrvati su bili (i ostali) prisutni u Hollywoodu od početka (1910.) filmske industrije u tom danas očaravajućem središtu blještavih filmskih i tv zvijezda. Među ostalim to su bili Laura La Plante (1904. – 1996.), super zvijezda nijemog filma; John Miljan (1892. – 1960.), glumio […]

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.

Nije mu bilo stalo do popularnosti jer ništa nije tražio za sebe. Ovo je priča o Petru Radieloviću

Petar Radielović rođen je 21. ožujka 1929. u Brezi, Bosna i Hercegovina, od oca Marka i majke Rozalije Rosić. Otac mu je bio željeznički zaposlenik u Alipašinu Mostu. Krstio ga je velečasni Antun Alaupović u crkvi Presvetog Trojstva u Sarajevu. U obitelji je bilo osmero djece. Petrova oca Marka smrt je susrela kao bespomoćna starca […]

“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.

Zbog JFK-a je došao u Ameriku, Reagan ga je htio u svom kabinetu, a 1963. prijavio se za Vijetnamski rat

Ovaj politički emigrant, aktivist, lobist, fotograf, filmaš, dizajner, grafički umjetnik i povratnik iz SAD-a, najviše se u medijima spominjao početkom 21. stoljeća kada je u nekoliko gradova diljem Lijepe Naše održana njegova izložba “Hrvati u Americi”. Najviše se tad pisalo o aktivnostima Vladimira Novaka, no vrlo malo o jednom zanimljivom, bogatom i burnom životu. “Rođen […]

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.

Hrvat u Los Angelesu koji je radio posao vrijedan 22 milijuna dolara: Tajna uspjeha? Samo jedna riječ…

Velika i napredna građevinska tvrtka Mladena Buntića, specijalizirana za inženjering i gradnju infrastrukture, vodovoda, odvoda, crpnih postaja i regulacije bujica – može se pohvaliti izvođenjem brojnih složenih projekata u Los Angelesu i Južnoj Kaliforniji. “Planiram kupiti kuću za odmor u Makarskom primorju. Ako Bog dadne zdravlja, neka se nađe pri ruci za Nadu i mene; […]

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