Original: Sabato '' Simon '' ( or '' Sam '' to his friends ) Rodia ( April 15 , 1875 -- July 16 , 1965 ) was an Italian immigrant to the United States who spent much of his adulthood living in Los Angeles , California .
Simplified: Sabato '' Simon '' Rodia ( 1879-1965 ) was an Italian immigrant who lived in the United States in the district of Los Angeles , California called Watts .