The Forgotten World of Marin County Fire Chief Samuel L. Mazza, now remembered.

While it is not unusual to find multiple generations of family members in the American fire service, the extended family of Samuel L. Mazza has an amazing breath and depth of public service, including in fire, law, and the military. Chief Mazza died in the Line of Duty at a fire in Nicasio in 1948, and his story has been largely forgotten and is mostly unknown today. Thanks to the tools of online research, and some great photos preserved by retired Senior Captains Greg Jennings and Pete Martin of the Marin County FD, one surprising discovery led to another, and it was hard to know where to stop digging. 

We have chosen to share some of the high points of his family and life, but by no means all of it. For example, we don't cover one of the members of a family tree branch, a man who served as a California State Senator and Judge, Thomas F. Keating. In fact, there are connections in the family tree to many other well-known Marin County names, such as Bloom, Keating, and Giacomini. Many stories to be told, so little time.

Join us this month in reading about Chief Mazza and some of his extended family. Now remembered, it's a story that should never be forgotten again. You can either click the button link below, or find the story under the Line of Duty Deaths menu, 1948.

Click here to go to the Chief Samuel Mazza story

Marin County Chief Samuel Mazza at a map board at the Woodacre headquarters. Unknown firefighter to the right.