Trapped In Tuscany Synopsis

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Trapped In Tuscany Synopsis

This book is a true account of events in my life that occurred between the years of 1938 and 1946. I was born in Boston in 1930, the only son of Italian immigrants from the Italian region of Tuscany and specifically from the province of Lucca. I grew up during the Depression in a suburb of Boston, in the city of Brighton. My father was a chef in a downtown Boston restaurant and was earning a good salary. As a result, we did not suffer any noticeable hardships during the Depression years. In fact, during the Summer of 1934 we went to Italy for a two month vacation, staying with my grandparents in the small village of Diecimo, located 16 kilometers from Lucca.

Diecimo was established in Roman times, as an outpost or rest stop for the Roman Legions. Located 10 Roman miles from Lucca, the place was named Diecimo, meaning 10, and later changed to Diecimo. The village is located in the Serchio River valley, which leads from Lucca in a north-easterly direction towards Garfagnana; the village had a population of approximately 800 people. The valley is very narrow in most areas, except where it widens in the Diecimo area. The original roads leading to the valley were gravel with small mule trails leading up to smaller hamlets perched on the side of the mountains paralleling the river bed. Transportation into the valley, in 1934, was by a single track steam train that went as far as Aulla, passing through Piaggione, Borgo a Mozzano, Bagni di Lucca, Fornaci di Barga, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Piazza al Serchio and eventually to Aulla which connected with the coastal railroad trains traveling between Milano and Roma. There were also small motor buses that serviced the villages on the main road so that people from the mountain villages could walk down, then take the bus to Lucca or to the municipal center, the Commune in Borgo a Mozzano. Most of the people living in Diecimo worked in agriculture on small parcels of land that they owned or worked as tenant farmers for landowners. Lucca was the site of the provincial government, and the Commune di Borgo a Mozzano was the next sub-level of government which had jurisdiction over the smaller villages called Frazioni. Diecimo was a Frazione of Borgo a Mozzano, in the Provincia di Lucca.

The city of Lucca, enclosed by a wall called Le Mura, is located in the center of a small fertile plain, at the beginning of the Garfagnana Region. Lucca is dominated on one side by Monte Pisano, a mountain which separates Lucca from the coastal plain by the Arno River. On the other side it is crowned by the wooded slopes of the Appenini (Appenines) and by Le Alpi Apuane (the Apuane Alps) among which the Serchio River flows. Within the ancient walls, the towers, the church bell towers, the churches and the palaces stand witnesses to the history and past glory of Lucca. In Lucca, the architectural structures are medieval, Romanesque style. From the foundation of the Roman Castrum to the period of the city-state, to the construction of the 16 century walls, a slow and organized development took place.

In order to understand a city like Lucca, one must examine the early primitive Roman nucleus, protected by solid walls, later adorned by a theater and amphitheater. Since the domination of the Longobards, from the sixth century on, Lucca became known as a military center, a road junction and an episcopal seat for the region. During this period of time, a very prosperous weaving industry began in Lucca. The true greatness of Lucca goes back to the period of time in which the city-state was a powerful entity in Italy. The political and economic power of Lucca was established in 1118 A.D. During this time much of the organized construction of houses and public buildings took place. The primitive Roman walls were enlarged, the major churches of San Martino and San Michele were built. After the rule of Castruccio Castracani, Lucca fell under the rule of Pisa. During the first thirty years of the fifteenth century, the city was ruled by Paolo Guinigi. Then the small republic of Lucca, ruled by the Council of Elders, lived and independent and quiet life for four centuries until the Napoleonic conquest.

As far as the development of Lucca, the people felt that the most important event was the building of the protective wall, Le Mura, which completely encircled the city, in the sixteenth century. The large wall made the city impregnable and contributed to the preservation of the historical center of Lucca. The Provincia di Lucca encompasses a large area, as one can see one the map of the province. People from the areas, dentro le Mura (inside the walls) and fuori le Mura (outside the walls) say they are from Lucca, which means that they may be from the city or from the Province of Lucca.

The valley was somewhat impenetrable because of the narrow roads and imposing vertical mountain ridges. Somewhere along the line, the territory must have impressed the German Army commanders in Italy because in 1943 the area became part of a planned line of defense for the retreat of the German troops in Italy and Diecimo became part of the Gothic Line which extended from the West coast of Italy to the East coast of Italy.

When I arrived in Italy in 1939, I was 9 years old, having just finished the third grade in Brighton, and speaking very little Italian. I came from modern American culture in the urban area of Boston and was thrust into a small, backward village culture of 1939 Italy, which was similar to the culture in the United States around 1900.

The region of Italy that includes the province of Lucca and the walled city of Lucca is located in Toscana (Tuscany), one of the northern regions of Italy. The province of Lucca incorporates approximately 1,800 square kilometers. It borders on the north with the provinces of Massa Carrara, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. On the east with the provinces of Pistoia and Firenze. On the south with the province of Pisa. On the west with the Mare Tirreno (Tyrrhenian Sea). Currently the population of Lucca is approximately 90,000 and the population of the province is approximately 390,000. Italian immigrants to the United States will say that they are from Lucca, which could mean that they come from within the walls of Lucca, (Dentro le Mura) from outside the walls of Lucca, (Fuori delle Mura) or from the province of Lucca (Dalla provincia di Lucca).

Most of the territory is mountainous, except for the flat areas along the Mare Tirreno and in the Serchio River Valley. The area has a good climate, similar to Northern California, mild along the oceans and beaches, a bit damp and cold along the river valley, with normal rainfall in the Garfagnana area. The flatlands around Lucca have been gradually built up as the Serchio River met with the Mare Tirreno creating a large delta. The mouth of the Serchio River is said to have been near Ponte A Moriano, a town located approximately 20 kilometers from the present mouth of the river.

The mountains in the Province of Lucca are part of the Apuan Alps and the Apennine mountains that are connected with the mountains from the Pisa area. The height of the Apuan Alps are approximately 2,000 meters, over 6,000 feet, and the height of the Apennine mountains are similar. The major river is the Serchio River with many tributaries. There are also many canals created to bring water to the many paper mills in the region. The flat land of the Province of Lucca is able to produce two crops per year, so it contains a pattern of small and large canals which bring water to the areas for irrigation purposes. The major natural lake is the Lago di Massaciuccoli, eight square kilometers, and is located near the town of Torre del Lago, which was the residence of Giacomo Puccini, the famous opera composer from Lucca. Because of the configuration of the mountains, there are three sub-regions in the province. The regions are: La Valle del Serchio, which is composed of Garfagnana, the middle and lower valley of the Serchio River. La Versilia, which is the flat area along the coast of the Mare Tirreno and swings north toward the Carrara marble quarries. This area is populated with tourists during the summer months because of spectacular beaches. La Val di Lima is the valley of the Lima River which connects to the Serchio River near Bagni di Lucca.

Prior to World War II the province of Lucca was mainly agricultural, although certain areas specialized in unique products. There was the Carrara marble industry, the ship construction facilities in Viareggio, the paper mills up the Serchio River valley, craftsmen that produced ceramic figurines in Garfagnana, and the production of silk flourished in Lucca. The agricultural activities included the production of olive oil and wine. Many crops grew on the side of the hills and mountains on terraced land that had been established by previous generations. The people in the province of Lucca are descendants of the Ligurians from the Genova area and the Etruscans. In general they spoke Toscano (Tuscan), with minor variations and dialects depending on the region.

This book explains my transition from an American boy into an Italian youth while World War II developed, my experiences with the Fascists, the Germans and the Allied Army troops and my experiences living in the small village. A singular and most rewarding experience occurred with the all- Negro 92nd Infantry Division soldiers who were deployed to the area and liberated us from the Germans. I became their interpreter and errand boy and developed friendships with many of the Negro soldiers. Despite today's preference for the term African- American, I use the term Negro because during the liberation period the soldiers were referred to as Negro soldiers and specifically as the Buffalo soldiers.

After undergoing many hardships and unusual experiences during the war, we were repatriated to the United States in January 1946 and decided to go to California instead of returning to Boston. My mother had an aunt that lived in South San Francisco and she offered us a place to live in her house. After we arrived in California my father worked as a cook for a restaurant at Mills Field, now San Francisco International Airport, and then worked for United Airlines, until he died in August of 1947. My mother worked as a seamstress, doing alterations for a dry cleaning company. She later returned to Italy in 1955 the year I married Jeanne Daly, and remained in her native village of Diecimo until she died in 1991 at the age of 92.

My first job in the United States was as a dishwasher at Mills Field earning $1.00 per hour. When I arrived in South San Francisco I was placed in the 10th grade at South San Francisco High School and graduated from high school in June of 1948. Because of my interest in playing football, I attended San Mateo Junior College (now the College of San Mateo) in the Fall of 1948 and as a result of playing football, I was able to get a job with the City of South San Francisco as a recreation director. My experiences in trying to help children learn sports at the playground caused me to continue college and become a high school Industrial Arts teacher and football coach. I attended San Mateo Junior College for three semesters and transferred to San Jose State College (now San Jose State University) in the Spring of 1950 hoping to try out for their football team and qualify for an athletic scholarship. Unfortunately, after trying out for the team in the Spring of 1950 and 1951 I was not able to get a scholarship. After attending school for four quarters, I had to quit school because I did not have any money to continue college. I was able to get a job as a grocery clerk for Brentwood Markets in South San Francisco and after two years I resumed my studies at San Francisco State College while working for the Brentwood Market and the owners Fred and John Benetti. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1955, a teaching credential in 1956, and a Master's Degree in 1957. I first started teaching at Capuchino High School in San Bruno in 1955 and established a successful career in teaching at the high school level, the community college level, and finally five years as an Assistant Principal at Burlingame High School until I retired in 1990.

I always felt fortunate to be an American and appreciated what this country had to offer to immigrants. In 1959 I became interested in the Presidential election and was a supporter of John Kennedy because of his youth, his ideas, and the fact that he was from Boston. I followed the campaign and the election closely and was overjoyed when Kennedy won the election. I had developed the hobby of photography while teaching and enjoyed taking pictures. Because of my photography skills I traveled with the Capuchino High School marching band to Long Beach, California, over the Thanksgiving weekend in 1959 to photograph the marching band competitions. When we returned home we found out that our Capuchino High School Band was being considered to represent the State of California at the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 20, 1961, in Washington D.C. The school submitted some of my band photographs that I had taken in Long Beach to the California Democratic Committee, and as a result, our marching band was selected to go to Washington D.C.

At that time, one of our faculty members at Capuchino High School was Leo Ryan. Leo had entered local politics in South San Francisco and was a City Councilman and later became Mayor of the city. Several faculty members were assigned to go to Washington with the band to act as chaperones and I was selected to go along as official photographer to chronicle the experience. Leo Ryan was also assigned to go to Washington as a chaperone because of his involvement with the California Democratic Party. During our trip to Washington I became friendly with Leo Ryan and because of his interest in local politics I also felt that I should get involved in city government in my City of Millbrae. Leo later became a State of California Assemblyman, then a Congressman in Washington, and was later killed in a confrontation in Jonestown, Guyana, when he was visiting the area to determine if injustice was being done to some of the followers of Jim Jones.

In 1972 I was appointed to the City of Millbrae Beautification Committee and enjoyed the experience of helping out in the city. In 1974 I became involved in attempting to place the issue of building a second fire station in Millbrae on the ballot. With the support of my neighbors, I became chairman of the Second Fire Station Bond Committee and we were able to place the issue on the November ballot. During the process, I did not receive much cooperation from the City Council and I therefore decided to run for City Council at the same time the Fire Station Bond issue was on the ballot. In November 1974 the people of Millbrae voted to construct a new fire station and I was elected to the Millbrae City Council. I was re-elected to the Millbrae City Council in November 1978. I also served as Mayor of the city in 1978-79.

My experiences on the City Council were very exciting, but in 1982 I decided not to run again because the position was taking too much of my time and I felt that a self-imposed two- term limit was appropriate. In 1984 I applied for a position on the Planning Commission and was appointed to serve by a 3-2 vote of the City council.

In 1989, I was elected as member of the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees governing the three community colleges in San Mateo County, Skyline College, College of San Mateo and Canada College. I was re-elected in 1993 to a second four year term.

I mention my involvement in politics not only because the experiences have been very rewarding to me, but because it illustrates what can happen in the United States when people become responsible, hard working members of society. My parents immigrated to the United States hoping to find a better life for themselves and their family. Since I was an only child, I was their family, and because of the unusual circumstances I had to work hard to achieve my goals. My experiences in Italy during World War II shaped my life in many respects. I had difficulty re- learning English in 1946 and had difficulty speaking and writing English in school. I worked hard to support myself after my father died and through many sacrifices was able to lead a fruitful life. I feel that the ten years after my arrival from Italy were very critical years in my life and that I was able to accomplish a lot considering my shortcomings in the English language and my lack of money. I graduated from high school, worked part time doing various jobs, played football in junior college and college, graduated from San Francisco State University and earned a teaching credential. My mother and father did not have much education in Italy, they only attended the first, second and third grades in the elementary school in Diecimo. Both of them learned to speak, read and write English, and I was very proud of that fact. I am pleased that my wife and I have two sons, Robert and William who graduated from college and are now successful in their work.

I was encouraged to write this book by my son Robert because he felt that I should provide a record of my experiences for my children. It was difficult to begin the process, but as I attempted to write in chronological order from my days in Brighton in 1938 to the end of the war in 1946 I was able to recall many of my experiences. As I wrote about things, other memories would return, and I was able to recount them in this book.

I am certain that other people have had unusual experiences and that those experiences have altered their lives. My life was altered considerably but I was able to stay on course and achieve certain goals. I found out that through teaching and holding public office I received a lot of satisfaction in helping others. I still derive great satisfaction in knowing that I was able to help students in becoming productive adults in our community and I still enjoy hearing about their success stories.

I still feel attached to Italy primarily because of the experiences that I had during World War II and because of the friends and relatives that are still in Italy. My parents grew up during difficult times and embarked on a long journey to a new land and were very successful in their quest for a better life. I consider myself fortunate to be an American.