Not many people can lay claim to the distinction of being honored by their city with a day being named after them. You can if you are an extraordinary person like James Cardinale Hill.
On June 30, 2004 the city of San Diego declared it “James Hill Day” to honor outstanding community service for the past forty years in San Diego.
Ubiquitous in all things in the San Diego Italian American community, it is quite outstanding the involvement, numerous awards and commendations Jim has received from the City of San Diego and other associations. He was awarded about twenty awards in a short period such as five years for example, “Coin Dealer of the Year” in 2004 and 2005 from the Consumer Business Review, “Man of the Year” from California State Coin Dealers Association.
Born a second generation Italian American in San Diego, Jim’s biological father Peter Anthony Cardinale was a first generation American whose parents were from Genoa and Sicily. Unfortunately, Jim was a young child and didn’t know his dad when he was sent overseas during World War II serving in the Philippines with the Marines as a platoon leader commissioned as full colonel where shortly after lost his life.
When Jim was about four years old, his mother and older brother moved to Jamaica, Long Island where he was raised for about four years until moving back to California to the Bay area before returning to San Diego when he was twelve.
Attending San Diego High School in his teens, Jim was active in sports, drama club, honorary thespian club, and won the Man of the Hour Award.
Jim founded and is the owner of the Treasure Trove and is a certified estate appraiser, licensed auctioneer, and estate liquidator.
During his late thirties and early forties, Jim reconnected with Our Lady of the Rosary Church through Father Grancini and rediscovered his Italian culture and heritage.
His involvement with Italian American clubs and associations in addition to civic services is staggering. For example, he served as past president for the Italian American Civic Association in San Diego being active with the club for the past twenty years; Order Sons of Italy in America San Diego past three years; member of House of Italy past fifteen years; the Italian Catholic Federation; served as past president for the Italian American Civic Association for twenty years; past chairman of the Blue Knight Awards for over fourteen years; served as past president of San Diego County Crime Commission; member of the San Diego Small Business Advisory Board for nineteen years.
Jim not only donates a lot of money, but also a lot of time to the various associations he belongs to. He is a remarkable person with tremendous heart, extremely generous and a real treasure to know.
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