Henry Everett Massoletti

Henry Everett Massoletti 

Henry Everett Massoletti was born 6 May 1859, the 4th son of Lewis Edward and Harriet Massoletti. He married Harrisonia Richardette Marsteller in Prince William County, Virginia on 26 December 1879. 

Harrisonia was born 1841, the daughter of Samuel Arell Marsteller and Margaret Emily Warder. Her great-grandfather was Lt. Col. Philip Marsteller, a member of the Constitutional Convention 1776, a personal friend of George Washington and a pall bearer at Washington’s funeral. Harrisonia experienced the Civil War first hand as her father and brothers were members of the famous Black Horse Cavalry in Fauquier County. A skirmish took place at Arellton, the Marsteller home in Bristow Station, near current day Nokesville, Virginia.

At the time of the Civil War, Arell’s five daughters, Margaret (Mollie), 7 Harrisonia, 8 Emily, 9 Llera, 10 and Korenore (Cora), 11 all single, were said to be very beautiful and alluring. As a consequence, the Marsteller ladies naturally attracted the attention of the officers and enlisted soldiers of both armies including, William D’Alton Mann, the Colonel of the 7th Michigan Cavalry. On the day of the skirmish, the Union soldiers approached the Marsteller home thinking it a safe location since they had visited before. This day, however, they were attacked and reports say that the Marsteller girls were part of the skirmish by attracting the Union soldiers and hiding their horses. When Union orders were given to burn the Marsteller home, Col Mann interceded to stop it and it is believed his resistance was due to the beautiful Marsteller girls.

This is from “The Skirmish at Arellton and the Michigan Cavalry Brigade Hospital at Fairfax Court House” by William Page Johnson, II

Henry Everett and Harrisonia initially settled in Fauquier County. The 1880 census shows that Harrisonia was keeping house and Henry Everett was a farmer. They had moved to Lowell, Massachusetts by 1882 where their son, Joseph Davis, was born. Harrisonia had mental health issues that required her to be institutionalized. The 1900 census shows Henry Everett living in New Haven, Connecticut with a housekeeper and his 17 year old son. Henry Everett moved to New Haven to take a new job and is listed there in the 1910 census with a housekeeper. Harrisonia is listed in the Medfield State Asylum in Massachusetts in the 1910 census where she passed away in 1918. Harrisonia is buried at Saint Lawrence Cemetery in West Haven, Connecticut.

Census records show that Henry Everett remained in New Haven until his death in 1921. The Bridgeport Telegram reports the events of Henry Everett’s death in 1921:

Shelton, Feb 1 – The body of Henry Massoletti 60 of 310 Grand Avenue New Haven, who disappeared from Shelton on the night of January 21 was found this afternoon in the Shelton canal. A gold watch, money and other valuables were found on the body.

Massoletti came to Shelton with Thomas Horan of New Haven and as the latter was cranking his automobile to return in the evening, Massoletti disappeared. His son Joseph Massoletti of Sound Beach offered a reward of $100 for news regarding his father’s whereabouts or recovery of his body if dead.

Henry Everett Massoletti is buried at Mapledale Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.

Child of Henry Everett and Harrisonia Massoletti

Joseph Davis Massoletti was born 19 June 1882 in Lowell, Massachusetts to Henry Everett and Harrisonia Massoletti. The 1900 census shows Joseph David aged 18 living with his father in New Haven, Connecticut. Joseph D Massoletti studied to become a mechanical engineer and New Haven City Directories show that he was an employee of Sargent & Company from 1901 – 1905. The 1906 directory notes that he has moved to Sound Beach. He married Catherine P. Callahan (“Kitty”) in 1909. Catherine’s father had immigrated from Ireland. Joseph and Catherine settled in Sound Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut. Catherine was a member of Sound Beach society and is mentioned frequently in the social pages of the newspaper.

Joseph’s first love was food and he found that a mechanical engineering career was not for him. His first job with a bridge-building company resulted in a sprained back so he decided to open a restaurant. He borrowed $500 from his father, acquired a partner and they managed to pay off their debts. He went on to run several very successful businesses throughout his life culminating with the famous Massoletti’s Restaurant in the financial district of New York. He also served as the Chairman of the executive committee of the American Society of Restaurants. He still found time to enjoy his passion of deep sea fishing in North Carolina and Mexico. He believed it was better to rest by degrees “than to wait until you’ve earned a million to retire”

Records in Stamford show that Joseph was a druggist and confectioner owning drug stores and candy companies. Joseph opened Massoletti’s Candy Shop at 209 Atlantic Street in Stamford on 5 December 1915 selling ice cream and candy. It is listed in city directories in 1916 – 1920 with JD Massoletti listed as President. Advertisements show that he had another location at 40 Wall Street that later became Norwalk Candy. C.H.B. Humphries bought into the Massoletti Candy Shop in 1920. In 1922, he bought out Joseph Massoletti’s share of the business, moved the store from 209 Atlantic Street to 53 Bank Street, and kept the business’s Massoletti name. Joseph Massoletti planned to dedicate more of his time to his New York restaurant.

In 1924, Joseph opened the New York Coffee House, Massoletti’s at 91 Water Street in New York near the financial district. City directories list him as President, his wife, Catherine, as Vice President and Grace S. Billings as Secretary-treasurer. 

Joseph leased 70 Pine Street in New York in April 1935. Massoletti’s Tower Restaurant operated there in the financial district of New York for more than 50 years. Massoletti’s Tower Restaurant featured fine southern cuisine and was considered one of the most successful and highest quality restaurants in New York. Fresh fruits and vegetables were flown in from their supplier in California. It had one of the best wine cellars in the city. Joseph purchased the entire wine stock from the French Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It served as the meeting place for many famous people and received excellent reviews.

Knife and Fork in New York by Lawton Mackall (1948):

Of Old Virginia background (descended from an aide-de-camp of George Washington), J.D. Massoletti knows the tastes and preferences of downtown executives because he’s an outstanding executive himself, regarded by restaurateurs from coast to coast as a wizard; in exclusive club circles he rates as a super-gourmet.  With this vast double-decker layout in the basement of the 65-story Cities Service Building, he and his able son Everett achieve the feat of serving consistently high-quality food, individually prepared, at volume prices – thereby drawing more table applicants each weekday noon than the two huge floors can accommodate.  Upper dining room, with windows on three streets, is Colonial in character, inspired by one of the historic mansions of Virginia; the equally large room under it is in the fishing-and-hunting mood, with a surf-casting photomural in color and a fine collection of Audubon prints, outranked in eye appeal by the wine cellar displayed behind the vacuum-insulated glass as big show of the room. Kept at a controlled temperature of 60 degrees F, these wines compromise one of the finest collections in the United States, begun with the purchase of the cellar of the French Pavilion Restaurant at the close of the World’s Fair.  Each floor has its own kitchen – immaculate, air-conditioned, odorless.  I don’t believe there’s a better-run restaurant on the face of the globe, nor any crabmeat better than Massoletti’s crabmeat Norfolk.  As regards the oyster stews, clam chowder, country-style sausage and Virginia ham, don’t get me started!  Dinner served until 8.  Closed Saturdays.

Gourmet Dinners by G. Selmer Fougner (1941) describes a meal served at Massoletti’s Restaurant.  Esquire’s Handbook For Host by Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, New York, Copyright 1949 by Esquire, Inc. gives the recipe for Massoletti’s Cheese Fondue.

Joseph Davis applied and was accepted into the Sons of the American Revolution in 1915 as a descendent of Philip Marsteller. There are records that show he was active in the organization for the rest of his life. He was also a member of The Players, a private social club in New York City whose members included the local pillars of society of the day, prominent bankers, lawyers and businessmen, as well as those identified with other arts – writers, journalists, sculptors, architects and painters. He was also a member of the Deevy Club, an exclusive organization composed of some of the leading business and professional men of the country.

Joseph spent his leisure time deep sea fishing in Hatteras, NC and in Mexico. He had a fishing lodge in Hatteras Village and cruiser named “Coco”. Joseph became a member of the famed Honorary Tar Heels, a group of sports writers, authors, press and magazine photographers and radio commentators that was named and created by North Carolina Governor Cherry. Joe Massoletti hosted the group at his restaurant in New York and at his fishing lodge in Hatteras. There are numerous accounts of their dinners and trips in the magazines and newspapers of the time.

Catherine Massoletti died 31 August 1954 at their home in Fairfield, Connecticut. She is buried at Saint Lawrence Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut. Joseph Davis died in Mexico City 13 August 1973. His funeral was in New Haven, Connecticut.

They had one son, Henry Everett who took over the running of Massoletti’s Tower Restaurant. He died in West Palm Beach, December 1979 after being struck by an automobile while crossing the street.