When you visit a Bay Area coffee shop, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that you’ll be able to order some form of espresso on the menu, whether as a latte, a cappuccino, a macchiato or an americano. 

Some 45 years ago, that was not the case. That’s when an Italian elevator repairman in Oakland named Carlo Di Ruocco—new to town and yearning for a traditional cup of espresso—lit on the idea to import espresso machines from Italy and sell them to local restaurants and cafes, who were wholly unfamiliar with the drink.