The Watermelon King

John Losasso's Italian roots go deep into Denver's history.

A A A Comments By Stuart Steers Thursday, Oct 10 2002

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John lives modestly in northwest Denver with his wife of three decades, Margaret. (His first wife, Mildred, died of breast cancer in 1965.) One of his daughters makes her home in the Denver area, and the other lives in Las Vegas. Family is still important: He's looking forward to the marriage of one of his grandchildren in November.

He says he thinks often of his father, Paschal, and remembers the way his parents struggled to make ends meet. In a life that bridges two centuries, he's seen plenty of changes, but probably none with as much impact as the automobile. John's father ultimately gave up his horse and wagon for an REO Speedwagon. But John vividly remembers the day in the 1920s when his father first tried to drive. A cousin had bought a truck and told Paschal he should start driving one.

Anthony Camera

John Losasso relaxes at home after decades of working in the Denargo Market.

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"He told him, 'Get rid of that horse and wagon and get a truck. I'll teach you how to use it,'" says John. "He convinced him he could do it."

The cousin brought his truck over to the Losasso house, and John still remembers his father yelling as he tried to stop the truck from moving.

"He was pushing the pedal and hollering, 'Whoa! Whoa!' like it was a horse. Afterwards, Daddy got the wagon out and put the horse back in the garage and said, 'That's it. Get that thing out of here.'"