He was the second son of Petrona Alabanza and her first husband, Domingo de León. Both of his parents were Ilocano, born in Ilocos province, likely in Vigan (which is currently located in Ilocos Sur province).
He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17. His five older half-siblings had gone before him but were never heard from again.
After working briefly in the fields in Stockton, California, he found work in Los Angeles. He traveled back to the Philippines, and returned to the United States in October 1921, and again in May 1926 (his destination address in 1926 was 1375 Broadway in Los Angeles, California). Later, he found work in New York City. The 1940 U.S. Census shows he was working as a cook and houseboy for a newly remarried man and his family, in Miami Beach, Florida (and he had shaved five years off his actual age). He subsequently found work at a resort hotel, the Alamac Hotel in Miami, Florida.
He was stationed at Camp Beale, California in early 1943. He was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army, 1st Filipino Infantry on March 17, 1943.
After his discharge, he returned to Los Angeles, and where he lived and worked at the Lafayette Hotel in Long Beach, located on West Ocean Blvd. next to the present-day Hilton Long Beach. He left Los Angeles when he subsequently obtained work in the casino restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was a successful cook, and in the early 1960s he was promoted to Salad Chef at The Mint casino. At the time, he was the only Filipino American to work in such a visible position in the Las Vegas entertainment industry.
Through his younger sister Dionisia, he was the very much beloved maternal uncle and mentor of Alaska's first Asian American legislator, Thelma Garcia Buchholdt. He sent for his niece to come to the U.S. as a young teenager, so that she could attend Mount St. Mary's College in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California -- a women's college operated and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biology, in 1956.
In the early 1960s, Fermin fell in love with a young Latina woman, but she rejected him and married another, and left town. He was heartbroken and depressed. Shortly afterwards, in 1965, a Filipina tourist from the Visayas arrived in Las Vegas and announced her intention to be married and become a U.S. citizen. She was in the U.S. only because of the loosening of visa restrictions for Filipinos under the 1965 Immigration Act. The Filipino community of Las Vegas pointed her towards Fermin de Leon, and told he was marriageable. After some brief negotiation, he agreed to marry her.
His wife Rita worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.), and upon her retirement she had a huge brick house built in her home village. It was the largest, the finest, the most American-looking building in her province. She had to hire security guards. After a few years of living in what ended up being more of a prison than a dream retirement home, she moved back to the United States.
As was the case with his mother, Fermin de Leon suffered a series of debilitating strokes in his old age, and he lost his mobility. He died in Las Vegas. As of January 1, 2020, his widow Rita de Leon continued to live in Nevada, with her niece, a Filipino American nurse. In 2022, Rita de Leon moved to the Philippines.
He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17. His five older half-siblings had gone before him but were never heard from again.
After working briefly in the fields in Stockton, California, he found work in Los Angeles. He traveled back to the Philippines, and returned to the United States in October 1921, and again in May 1926 (his destination address in 1926 was 1375 Broadway in Los Angeles, California). Later, he found work in New York City. The 1940 U.S. Census shows he was working as a cook and houseboy for a newly remarried man and his family, in Miami Beach, Florida (and he had shaved five years off his actual age). He subsequently found work at a resort hotel, the Alamac Hotel in Miami, Florida.
He was stationed at Camp Beale, California in early 1943. He was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army, 1st Filipino Infantry on March 17, 1943.
After his discharge, he returned to Los Angeles, and where he lived and worked at the Lafayette Hotel in Long Beach, located on West Ocean Blvd. next to the present-day Hilton Long Beach. He left Los Angeles when he subsequently obtained work in the casino restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was a successful cook, and in the early 1960s he was promoted to Salad Chef at The Mint casino. At the time, he was the only Filipino American to work in such a visible position in the Las Vegas entertainment industry.
Through his younger sister Dionisia, he was the very much beloved maternal uncle and mentor of Alaska's first Asian American legislator, Thelma Garcia Buchholdt. He sent for his niece to come to the U.S. as a young teenager, so that she could attend Mount St. Mary's College in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California -- a women's college operated and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biology, in 1956.
In the early 1960s, Fermin fell in love with a young Latina woman, but she rejected him and married another, and left town. He was heartbroken and depressed. Shortly afterwards, in 1965, a Filipina tourist from the Visayas arrived in Las Vegas and announced her intention to be married and become a U.S. citizen. She was in the U.S. only because of the loosening of visa restrictions for Filipinos under the 1965 Immigration Act. The Filipino community of Las Vegas pointed her towards Fermin de Leon, and told he was marriageable. After some brief negotiation, he agreed to marry her.
His wife Rita worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.), and upon her retirement she had a huge brick house built in her home village. It was the largest, the finest, the most American-looking building in her province. She had to hire security guards. After a few years of living in what ended up being more of a prison than a dream retirement home, she moved back to the United States.
As was the case with his mother, Fermin de Leon suffered a series of debilitating strokes in his old age, and he lost his mobility. He died in Las Vegas. As of January 1, 2020, his widow Rita de Leon continued to live in Nevada, with her niece, a Filipino American nurse. In 2022, Rita de Leon moved to the Philippines.
He was the second son of Petrona Alabanza and her first husband, Domingo de León. Both of his parents were Ilocano, born in Ilocos province, likely in Vigan (which is currently located in Ilocos Sur province).
He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17. His five older half-siblings had gone before him but were never heard from again.
After working briefly in the fields in Stockton, California, he found work in Los Angeles. He traveled back to the Philippines, and returned to the United States in October 1921, and again in May 1926 (his destination address in 1926 was 1375 Broadway in Los Angeles, California). Later, he found work in New York City. The 1940 U.S. Census shows he was working as a cook and houseboy for a newly remarried man and his family, in Miami Beach, Florida (and he had shaved five years off his actual age). He subsequently found work at a resort hotel, the Alamac Hotel in Miami, Florida.
He was stationed at Camp Beale, California in early 1943. He was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army, 1st Filipino Infantry on March 17, 1943.
After his discharge, he returned to Los Angeles, and where he lived and worked at the Lafayette Hotel in Long Beach, located on West Ocean Blvd. next to the present-day Hilton Long Beach. He left Los Angeles when he subsequently obtained work in the casino restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was a successful cook, and in the early 1960s he was promoted to Salad Chef at The Mint casino. At the time, he was the only Filipino American to work in such a visible position in the Las Vegas entertainment industry.
Through his younger sister Dionisia, he was the very much beloved maternal uncle and mentor of Alaska's first Asian American legislator, Thelma Garcia Buchholdt. He sent for his niece to come to the U.S. as a young teenager, so that she could attend Mount St. Mary's College in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California -- a women's college operated and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biology, in 1956.
In the early 1960s, Fermin fell in love with a young Latina woman, but she rejected him and married another, and left town. He was heartbroken and depressed. Shortly afterwards, in 1965, a Filipina tourist from the Visayas arrived in Las Vegas and announced her intention to be married and become a U.S. citizen. She was in the U.S. only because of the loosening of visa restrictions for Filipinos under the 1965 Immigration Act. The Filipino community of Las Vegas pointed her towards Fermin de Leon, and told he was marriageable. After some brief negotiation, he agreed to marry her.
His wife Rita worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.), and upon her retirement she had a huge brick house built in her home village. It was the largest, the finest, the most American-looking building in her province. She had to hire security guards. After a few years of living in what ended up being more of a prison than a dream retirement home, she moved back to the United States.
As was the case with his mother, Fermin de Leon suffered a series of debilitating strokes in his old age, and he lost his mobility. He died in Las Vegas. As of January 1, 2020, his widow Rita de Leon continued to live in Nevada, with her niece, a Filipino American nurse. In 2022, Rita de Leon moved to the Philippines.
He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17. His five older half-siblings had gone before him but were never heard from again.
After working briefly in the fields in Stockton, California, he found work in Los Angeles. He traveled back to the Philippines, and returned to the United States in October 1921, and again in May 1926 (his destination address in 1926 was 1375 Broadway in Los Angeles, California). Later, he found work in New York City. The 1940 U.S. Census shows he was working as a cook and houseboy for a newly remarried man and his family, in Miami Beach, Florida (and he had shaved five years off his actual age). He subsequently found work at a resort hotel, the Alamac Hotel in Miami, Florida.
He was stationed at Camp Beale, California in early 1943. He was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army, 1st Filipino Infantry on March 17, 1943.
After his discharge, he returned to Los Angeles, and where he lived and worked at the Lafayette Hotel in Long Beach, located on West Ocean Blvd. next to the present-day Hilton Long Beach. He left Los Angeles when he subsequently obtained work in the casino restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was a successful cook, and in the early 1960s he was promoted to Salad Chef at The Mint casino. At the time, he was the only Filipino American to work in such a visible position in the Las Vegas entertainment industry.
Through his younger sister Dionisia, he was the very much beloved maternal uncle and mentor of Alaska's first Asian American legislator, Thelma Garcia Buchholdt. He sent for his niece to come to the U.S. as a young teenager, so that she could attend Mount St. Mary's College in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California -- a women's college operated and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biology, in 1956.
In the early 1960s, Fermin fell in love with a young Latina woman, but she rejected him and married another, and left town. He was heartbroken and depressed. Shortly afterwards, in 1965, a Filipina tourist from the Visayas arrived in Las Vegas and announced her intention to be married and become a U.S. citizen. She was in the U.S. only because of the loosening of visa restrictions for Filipinos under the 1965 Immigration Act. The Filipino community of Las Vegas pointed her towards Fermin de Leon, and told he was marriageable. After some brief negotiation, he agreed to marry her.
His wife Rita worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.), and upon her retirement she had a huge brick house built in her home village. It was the largest, the finest, the most American-looking building in her province. She had to hire security guards. After a few years of living in what ended up being more of a prison than a dream retirement home, she moved back to the United States.
As was the case with his mother, Fermin de Leon suffered a series of debilitating strokes in his old age, and he lost his mobility. He died in Las Vegas. As of January 1, 2020, his widow Rita de Leon continued to live in Nevada, with her niece, a Filipino American nurse. In 2022, Rita de Leon moved to the Philippines.
