Aron Hasson Family Tree

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Aron Hasson's family tree.

Aaron Benoun and Sepora Amato

Aron was born in 1897 in Rhodes. Aron was one of eight children to Samuel Benoun and Perla Menashe. Aron's father went around the island with a couple of mules to sell dry goods (pot and pans, needles & threads, etc.). Aron's father died when he was a child. Aron's older brother, Rahamim, had come to the U.S. to earn some money for the family. (Rahamim came to the U.S. in 1907, on the same boat as Joseph Capelouto, and lived in Seattle for a few years before moving to Los Angeles.) Aron went to the U.S. to join his brother, who was living in Los Angeles. Aron came to the Los Angeles in 1913 at the age of 16. Unfortunately, just weeks prior to Aron's arrival his brother Rahamim died of pnemonia. Aron stayed with the Isaac Berro family and began working to support the remainder of his family in Rhodes.
Sepora was born in1899 in Rhodes. Sepora was one of six children born to Leon Amato and Estrella Benveniste. Sepora's father was a butcher (across from the Turkish bath) in the old city of Rhodes. She attended the private French Catholic school in Rhodes supported by the Rothchild family.
Sepora came on the same boat as Amelia Notrica in 1920. Aron traveled to Portland to meet Sepora. Aron and Sepora married in Los Angeles in 1923. They had five children: Morris in 1924, Pearle in 1925, Leon in 1928, Samuel in 1931 and Joseph in 1932.
As a sixteen year old, speaking only "Ladino", his first job was a typical "immigrant" job: shoe shining. He earned 5 cents a shine. In the 1921 Los Angeles City Directory, it is recorded that Aron was a waiter at the downtown Sephardic restaurant at 214 Winston Street. He had an interest in a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. A plate of beans was 10 cents. The Candiotti asked for "avas". He asked for a space in front of a barber shop for a shoeshine stand. "Hat blocking" (cleaning hats) for a short time.
In the late 1920's, for a couple of years, he was selling fruit with his brother-in-law Behor Capelouto, at a small produce stand on Vernon and Broadway. He operated a produce departments adjacent to Henderson's and M & B. He operated another produce department adjacent to Jerry's Market on Western and Santa Monica Blvd. from 1939 to 1943 where he was successful financially. He had produce stalls in the Grand Central Market (on Broadway, D1, E1 and E2) in downtown Los Angeles from 1945 to 1950. He purchased a property on Central and Rosecrans in 1952 and built a produce stand called Country Farms and later rebuilt to enlarge into a grocery market.
He died in 1956. Sepora died in 1975.
Samuel Benoun property was covered over with "black-top"; Moshe Sulam called it's location: "Calle de los Benouns".

Interview with Pearle Hasson, May 6, 1997:

Perla Menashe came to the U.S. in 1924; she came by herself. Samuel Benoun died when Papoo Aron was about 13 years old. There are a few photos of Perla with uncle Morrie and the family in San Diego. She went to Rhodes and no one took care of her, because her children were gone; and she lived in Jerusalem and died there. She lived in an old age home called "Bet Zekenim" (Albert and Haim Menashe knows where the stone is located).

Estrella Benveniste's husband, Aslan (Leon) was a butcher.

Joseph Hasson and Victoria Hasson

Joseph Hasson was born in Rhodes in 1893, and was raised in Megre (now called Fethiye, which is a small harbor village across from Rhodes on the Turkish mainland), where his father was a merchant. Joseph was the oldest of six children of Israel Hasson and Rachel Levy. In 1912, in order to avoid conscription into the Turkish army, he fled on a boat that was headed to the United States, where he would meet his uncles, Michael and Haco. He is listed in the 1914 Los Angeles City Directory as residing with his brother Michael at 429 Wall Street.
Joseph Hasson was the treasurer of the first Los Angeles Sephardic organization, called the Ahavat Shalom, when it was incorporated in 1914. In February 1917, Joseph Hasson took part in the establishment of the Peace and Progress Society, also acting as treasurer. This organization was comprised primarily of Rhodeslis.
He served in the United States Army during World War I, from 1917 to 1918. From this military service in time of war, he became a U.S. Citizen by Naturalization on December 5, 1918 at Camp Grant, Illinois.
Joseph married Victoria Hasson (who was related to him as a first cousin) in 1921, and from this marriage were born three children: Israel (Ted), Jack, and Rachel. (Israel legally changed his name to Ted when he was 17 years old.) Joseph went into the produce business at 7th and Main Streets. He operated a small grocery market on 8th Street between Olive and Hill Streets for a few years. Later, in 1929, he purchased a grocery market called "A-1Market" at 9th and Figueroa Streets. (It was called "A-1" because it was purchased from two other Rhodeslis named 'A'lhadeff and 'I'srael. He sold the business in 1986.
In 1934 he was chairman of the Building and Finance Committee for the purpose of establishing the synagogue on 55th and Hoover Streets. Joseph Hasson also served as president of the synagogue in 1923, 1937-38, 1940-41 and again in 1960-61.
In recognition of his lifetime of dedication to the synagogue, Joseph Hasson was honored as the first Man of the Year of the Sephardic Hebrew Center in 1968. In 1971, Joseph and Victoria celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a celebration at the synagogue hall in Ladera.
Victoria was born in Rhodes in October 1900. Her father was a merchant in Cairo. Victoria lived for several years in Egypt with her family. Victoria came to the United States in 1920. She was one of four children of Ruben Hasson and Rachel Tarica. She married Joseph in June 19, 1921 at the B'nai B'rith Lodge, in a double marriage together with Leon and Rachel Berro.
Victoria continually served on the women's auxiliary, regarding fund raising for the Peace and Progress Society and the Sephardic Hebrew Center. While serving on the Board of Directors she served as secretary and took the minutes in the Ladino handwriting called "solitreo".

Israel Hasson came to the U.S. about 1934, and was rejected at Ellis Island because he had an eye infection. He came again with his wife Rachel Levy in 1939 without any problems.

Ruben Hasson came to the U.S. approximately 1915. He is listed in the 1916 Los Angeles City Directory. He resided downtown at that time at 538 Wall Street. He is also seen in the "1920 Palestine Mandate Celebration" photo which is located on the web page of the Rhodes Jewish Museum on the "Emigration" page.