JOSEPH E. GALLO JR., 87 Switched from wine to cheese
Joseph Edward Gallo Jr., who broke from his winemaking family to make cheese and then waged a high-profile spat with his famous brothers over use of the Gallo name, died Feb. 17 of a longtime illness.
His two older brothers, Ernest and Julio Gallo, started E&J; Gallo Winery.
In 1979, Mr. Gallo built his first dairy and began marketing a line of cheeses with his full name.
His brothers sued Mr. Gallo in 1986 to stop using the family name, and the youngest brother countered with a claim that they owed him a third of the winery.
Mr. Gallo lost the legal battle and changed the name of his business to "Joseph Farms," a company that now employs about 500 full-time workers.