POW #: P696
ARRESTED: July 12, 1940
RELEASED: June 27, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: December 29, 1900
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Bookkeeper, Joseph Ricciatti and Company

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Oreste Sabetta lived at 183 Alexander St. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He may have rented this home from his brother Vittorio Sabetta, an Ottawa-based doctor who was also interned during World War II. Sabetta worked as a bookkeeper for Joseph Ricciatti and Company, a local grocery store located at 40 Queens St. West.

Sabetta’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Sault Ste. Marie without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 655, Internee File 3765 “Oreste Sabetta.”

POW #: P190
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: February 15, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: November 26, 1899
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Ottawa
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Physician/surgeon

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Dr. Vittorio Sabetta lived at 188 Cooper St. in Ottawa and the house also contained his medical office. It appears that Sabetta specialized in skin diseases. He owned a house in Sault Ste. Marie that he rented for $25 a month.

Sabetta held the rank of Master within the Supreme Lodge of the Ontario Order Sons of Italy. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged that he was the president of the Ottawa fascio. According to the RCMP, other members of this group included fellow internees Gino Tiezzi, Giuseppe Costantini, and Fred Rocco Pantalone. Vincenzo Sorrenti was also named by the RCMP as belonging to this fascist organization but he does not appear to have been interned.

Sabetta’s brother Oreste Sabetta, from Sault Ste. Marie, was also interned during World War II. A third brother, Antonio, was also a doctor and lived in Connecticut. 

Sabetta’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the RCMP once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Ottawa without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, CSIS: RG 146, Vol. 97, File AH-1999/00227, RCMP, “The Organization and Activities of the Italian Fascist Party in Canada,” Ottawa, 1937.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 1926, Internee File 2836 “Vittorio Sabetta.”

POW #: P825
ARRESTED: June 26, 1940
RELEASED: January 10, 1942
NATURALIZED: January 19, 1931
BORN: 1873
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Widowed
OCCUPATION: Owned a bakery

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Rosario Sacco lived at 1663 Slater St. in Niagara Falls. His deceased wife’s name was Maria and they had four adult children: three sons and one daughter who ranged in age from the mid 20s to the early 40s. Sacco’s bakery was located at 1659 Slater St. While interned, the bakery was run by one of his sons. 

Two of Sacco’s sons Peter Sacco and Vincenzo Sacco were also interned. Both men were accused of criminal activities in government documents.

Sacco’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Niagara Falls without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

When Sacco was released from Petawawa he was 69 years old and unable to work. His bakery may have been passed to his son or closed.  

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 685, Internee File 6541 “Rosario Sacco.”

POW #: P664
ARRESTED: June 26, 1940
RELEASED: March 29, 1943
NATURALIZED: Canadian born
BORN: June 28, 1908
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Racketeer, Bootlegger, Gambler, Slot Machine Vendor

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon agreeing to a special undertaking

Some of the Italian Canadian internees may have been interned because of their criminal activities. Peter Mara Sacco (alias Black Pete) was part of this group. He was associated with Rocco Perri (also interned), “Canada’s King of the Bootleggers” and one of the most prominent mob bosses in Canadian history.

At the time of his arrest, Sacco was single and possibly resided with his father Rosario Sacco (also interned). His brother Vincenzo Sacco (also interned) was involved in criminal activities. The brothers-in-crime were members of the Marconi Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy. Allegedly, they expressed anti-British sentiments and praised Hitler and Mussolini. Their home was searched by police on June 26, 1940. Police seized revolver ammunition, two shotguns, a rifle and ammunition, and an unlisted number of dynamite fuses and percussion caps.

Government documents also noted: “One of the boys was just released from a US prison after doing a term for murder and the family, generally, are not considered the best of citizens. They ran a slot machine racket and various other enterprises in the Niagara district but most of the property appears to be in the names of the wives of the internees” (Custodian of Enemy Property: G.W. McPherson, Memorandum, Sept. 26, 1940).

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Sacco after his release?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117-A-3, Vol. 669, Internee File 5014, “Peter Mara Sacco.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563 Part 1.

POW #:
ARRESTED: July 06, 1940
RELEASED: March 29, 1943
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: May 25, 1902
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Racketeer, Bootlegger

Some of the Italian-Canadian internees seemed to have been interned for their criminal activities. In this group, one would include Vincenzo (James) Sacco. He was associated with Rocco Perri (also interned), “Canada’s King of the Bootleggers” and one of the most prominent mob bosses in Canadian history.

At the time of his arrest, Sacco was single. His brother Peter Sacco (also interned) was known to be involved in criminal activities. The brothers-in-crime were members of the Marconi Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy. Allegedly, they expressed anti-British sentiments and praised Hitler and Mussolini. Their home was searched by police on June 26, 1940. Police seized revolver ammunition, two shot guns, a rifle and ammunition, and an unlisted number of dynamite fuses and percussion caps. Both brothers seem to have lived with their father Rosario Sacco, who was also interned.

Government documents also note: “One of the boys was just released from a U.S. prison after doing a term for murder and the family, generally, are not considered the best of citizens. They ran a slot machine racket and various other enterprises in the Niagara district but most of the property appears to be in the names of the wives of the internees” (G.W. McPherson, memorandum, September 26, 1940, RG117-A-3, Vol.669, File no. 5014, LAC).

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
Which of the Sacco brothers was imprisoned for murder? Who did they kill?
What happened to Sacco after his release?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG117-A-3, Vol.669, File no. 5014.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 1.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol 3569, File E.

POW #: P817
ARRESTED: June 20, 1940
RELEASED: January 10, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Operated a pool hall

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Luigi Sacco was married to Mary and the couple lived at 1536 Ferry St. in Niagara Falls. They had three adult sons who ranged in age from 30 to 33. Luigi operated a pool hall in Mary’s name prior to his internment.

Sacco’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Niagara Falls without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk

Do you know…
If there is any relationship between this Sacco and the others interned – Rosario, Peter and Vincent?
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 2066, Internee File 6372 “Luigi Sacco.”

POW #: P966
ARRESTED: January 27, 1941
RELEASED: March 05, 1942
NATURALIZED: Canadian born
BORN: November 27, 1912
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Unemployed

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

John Saccone (aka Archie Saccone; John Archie Czar) was born to Italian immigrants on November 27, 1912 in Niagara Falls, ON.  He was Roman Catholic. 

On January 27, 1941 around 2 p.m., Saccone was arrested by the RCMP.  He was photographed and fingerprinted at their local headquarters in Niagara Falls.  At this time, Saccone was living on Stanley St. and was single.  He was a labourer but was unemployed at the time.  Saccone admitted to being a member of the Young Italian Liberal Association for about a year.  He was suspected of being involved in criminal activities.  Two minor charges included “gambling on the Lord’s day” in November of 1929 (dismissed) and “assault causing bodily harm” on November of 1938 (withdrawn).  More serious was his alleged connections in smuggling of illegal immigrants, booze, and American merchandise into Canada.  RCMP files note:

[Saccone] was particularly active in smuggling aliens and there is an enquiry presently being conducted by the Immigration Department in connection with one Pietro Piccirillo, Welland, … who it is understood was recently smuggled into Canada by Saccone.  Specific proof in respect to the smuggling of this alien into Canada is lacking without producing out contacts, which would be fatal to later investigation.  Saccone has made the remark that it was too bad Piccirillo was picked up because he had practically completed arrangements to smuggle two more aliens into Canada but would have to lay low for awhile.  This statement he actually made in the presence of our Contact No. 13.  Piccirillo is presently in the custody of the Immigration Department who will make a decision in due course.

Furthermore, Saccone was suspected of being a fascist.  Witness, William Maxim of Niagara Falls, stated:

I frequently go to the bright Spot restaurant, Niagara Falls, where I see Archie Saccone, whom I know quite well.  From Saccone’s general conversation I am convinced that he is pro-Fascist.  He is always bragging about Mussolini’s army and states to the effect that if Italy goes to war on the side of Germany Italy will be justified.  He also stated to the effect that if Mussolini goes into war it won’t be long until we are run either by an Italian or German Government…In giving this statement I desire it to be known that I expect to be called into the [Royal Canadian Armed Forces] very shortly and feel that there is no use in fighting for Democracy [sic] while people such as Saccone are left behind to battle against the Democracy I am fighting for.

Saccone arrived at Camp Petawawa three days after his arrest. In May, Saccone requested the return of his personal belongings which he left at Landsdowne Barracks (Toronto) where he was held before he was sent to Petawawa.  This included a watch and chain, a pen knife, a bill fold, a birth certificate, a chauffeur’s license, and $3. 

Saccone was released on March 5, 1942 at 7:25 a.m. In a letter dated March 25, 1942, to ST Wood, Commissioner of RCMP, Louis St. Laurent, Minister of Justice, writes: “…unless Saccone complies with the conditions upon which he was released from detention under the [DOCR] he should be detained and returned to the Internment Camp from which he was released and held in accordance with the original order of detention.”

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Minister’s Orders List, V2.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 691, Internee File 8061 “John Saccone.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol. 3569, File E.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Parts 2 and 5.

POW #: K265
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: August 02, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Kananaskis
TOWN/CITY: Other British Columbia
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Unconditional release

There is little information known about Giovanni Giacomo Nino Sala.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 1, “Minister’s Orders – Italian,” no date.

POW #: P422
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: April 16, 1941
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: 1895
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Coal handler, Mongeau and Robert Co.

Rocco Salera was born in 1895. He arrived in Canada in 1906 to join his mother who arrived in 1903.

In 1916, Salera married Clara, a Romanian Jewish woman; they had eight (or nine children, but one died young). Salera was naturalized on February 25, 1932. 

In 1940, he lived on 7025 St. Vallier St. (another source reads 7025 Destvalier Ave.) in Montreal. The children were aged seven to 23; some were noted as having attended an Italian school at some point in their schooling. To support his large family, Salera worked as a coal handler at Mongeau and Robert Coal Co.

He was arrested on June 10, 1940 and interned at Petawawa Internment Camp. He was a member of the Caserta Society (a mutual benefit society that may have been a lodge of the Order Sons of Italy). Further, he had belonged to the dopolavoro for about 5 years and he may have given $10 towards the building of Casa d’Italia. Salera maintained his innocence by denying any membership in the fascio.

Upon investigation, Hyndman believed that Salera was “a victim of revenge on the part of certain members of the [International] Union [e.g. Bersani] which endeavoured to enlist him” but to which Salera and others refused. Hyndman recommended Salera’s release and on April 16, 1941, Salera was a free man.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 652, File 3557.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117-A-3, Vol. 652, File 3557.
• Library and Archives Canada, JD Hyndman Fonds: MG30, E182, Vol. 14.
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V3.

POW #: P740
ARRESTED: July 29, 1940
RELEASED: September 27, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN: April 02, 1893
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Welder, Dominion Chain Company

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Pasquale Salfi was married to Francesca Maria (b. October 20, 1898) and the couple lived at 1515 College Crescent in Niagara Falls. The Salfis had one daughter whose name may have been Maria Ida. While Pasquale was interned, Francesca Maria had power of attorney and was able to withdraw $40 per month from her husband’s bank account to support herself and their daughter.

Salfi’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Niagara Falls without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 671, Internee File 5081 “Pasquale Salfi.”

POW #:
ARRESTED: October 04, 1940
RELEASED: January 28, 1941
NATURALIZED: No
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Sculptor and decorator

Adolfo Salmaso arrived in Canada in the 1910s. He and his family lived at 1011 St. Dominique St. in Montreal. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Salmaso had been a member of the Fascio Giovanni Luparini and the Montreal dopolavoro since 1932. He was also suspected of giving money to the Italian Red Cross during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and supporting the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio all’Estero (GILE), the fascist youth organization. His three children were members of the GILE.   

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 1, Letter from Norman A. Robertson, Chairperson of the Inter-Departmental Committee, to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 4 Oct. 1940.

POW #: P447
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: August 10, 1941
NATURALIZED: October 14, 1927
BORN: June 11, 1893
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Secretary, Saxonia Fruit Preserving Company

RELEASE NOTES: Had to report monthly to RCMP

Giacinto Luciano Salvadori (Hyacinthe Lucien Salvador) served as an officer in the Italian army during the First World War. He came to Canada in 1920. A Canadian immigration agent misspelled Salvadori’s last name by dropping the “i.” From that point onward he was known as Salvador. 

Salvador married Yvonne Gagnon and the couple had three sons: Romano (b. 1929), Hubert (b. 1932) and Luc (b. April 10, 1939). The Salvadoris lived at 185 18th Avenue in Lachine (now part of Montreal). 

As Secretary of the Saxonia Fruit Preserving Company, Salvador acted as accountant and purchasing agent. He earned $125 a week and the family enjoyed a privileged lifestyle.

Salvador had been a member of Fascio Giovanni Luparini until the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. In his Custodian of Enemy Property file there is a Partito Nazionale Fascista membership card dated from July 27, 1925.

Salvador was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the day before his 47th birthday and only had enough time to pack a razor and a toothbrush before he was taken from his home. He was brought to a holding facility at Ile Ste-Hélène before being transferred to Petawawa Internment Camp.

He appears to have been a talented artist as he is known to have completed a few sketches of the camp’s layout, one of which is in the collection of the Canadian War Museum.

Salvador’s internment created hardships for his family. In a camp letter to Yvonne, he told her to sell his Zeiss binoculars for $125 to help support herself and the boys. Yvonne also had to sell the family car and rent the family home. She in turn rented a small cottage north of Montreal for the duration of her husband’s internment. Yvonne was active in trying to get her husband released with the help of a local Member of Parliament, according to their son Luc.

After Salvador was released from camp, Saxonia had closed down and he could not get his old job back. Having to start from scratch, he and his family rented another property on 10th Avenue in Lachine that had a grocery store attached. Salvador was able to expand his grocery business, Marché Salvador, and purchased land across the street from the original store. There he built a larger enterprise with apartments upstairs for himself and his family. Salvador sold the business and retired in his mid 60s. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk

SOURCES:

• Interview with Luc Salvador. July 7, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 648, Internee File 3247 “Giacinto Luciano Salvadori.”
• Library and Archives Canada, James Duncan Hyndman fonds:  MG30, E 182, Vol. 14, Letter to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 19 June 1941.

POW #: P281
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: December 22, 1942
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: March 25, 1891
DIED: 1983

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Tailor, Firth Brothers

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Ettore Sanguiro was born on March 25, 1891. He served with the Italian army during World War I and was wounded. In 1923, Sanguiro came to Canada and seven years later, his wife, Luisa, followed with their eight-year-old daughter, Cesarina. Their second child, Rosemarie, was born in 1933.  The family lived at 557 Cannon Street East in Hamilton. Sanguiro worked for the Firth Brothers tailoring firm since 1923. Luisa was also a tailor. 

Sanguiro was arrested on June 10, 1940. It was horrifying for the family, but especially for Rosemarie who was only seven at the time. She remembers how three Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers disrupted the family dinner by kicking in the front, side, and back doors to their humble home. The house was ransacked as drawers were emptied and mattresses were thrown off the bed. The arresting officers yelled rudely at the two girls and Luisa. Rosemarie recalls this “cowardly act as the most violent experience of her life.”

Sanguiro was sent to a holding ground in Toronto and his family drove down to see him. At their arrival, Sanguiro was placed at a long table far from them. Rosemarie remembers seeing her father cry as he watched them from afar. She also remembers a car driving by with the window rolled down and someone yelling, “Shoot them all!” After his brief detention in Toronto, Sanguiro was sent to Petawawa Internment Camp; his family did not see him again until his release in 1942.

During his internment, Sanguiro wrote his former employer asking them to hire his wife in his place. By this time, Cesarina was 18 and was working; she earned about $8 per week. Rosemarie recalls this difficult time as the family had no money and very little food. She does remember a kind act from Poloniato Bakery who gave bread to Luisa stating that she could pay them later. Rosemarie also became a victim of prejudice at school from her non-Italian classmates. At night, Rosemarie, Cesarina, and Luisa would huddle in their dark living room, listening to the Italian broadcast on the radio.

Eventually, Luisa did get a job at Firth Brothers through a connection from afriend, Mrs. Pacenti. Luisa’s mother, Rosa, moved into the family’s home to take care of Cesarina and Rosemarie while Luisa was at work.

At the internment camp, Sanguiro was able to carry on his practice as a tailor. He was set up in the tailor shop at Camp Petawawa and he was quite busy. Payment to him by fellow internees included cigarettes, but because he didn’t smoke he sent home two huge boxes filled with cigarettes.  Rosemarie recalls treating them as toys and playing “store” with them. Eventually, Cesarina’s fiancé, Russell, a non-smoker, made use of them and started to smoke. 

Sanguiro was released on December 22, 1942. Sanguiro’s conditions of release were as follows: he had to report to RCMP once a month and could not change his place of residence or leave Hamilton without the consent of RCMP. He returned to his job at Firth Brothers and Luisa, out of financial necessity, also remained working for them.

After his release, Sanguiro talked to his family about his time in internment camp. He told them of his uniform with the red circle target on the back and of the grave warning by guards that he would be shot if attempting escape. He also mentioned to his granddaughter, Sylvia, how at the camp some internees were forced to walk around naked as a means of entertainment for the guards and their girlfriends. The cloths the internees were given to dry off were the size of a small wash cloth.

Sanguiro passed away in 1983, five years after his wife. His eldest daughter passed away in 2011, leaving Rosemarie as the single survivor of that time period. His granddaughter, Sylvia, remembers him fondly:

My sweet grandfather, in my eyes, was always a gentleman. He even mowed the lawn wearing a shirt and tie. He took me to the playground at Gage Park on Sundays as a special treat; I would wear one of my fine dresses that my grandmother had sewn for me and he would wear his shirt and tie. He never learned to speak English because during his life he was surrounded by Italians, at home, at work, and at the Italian clubs that he was a member of.  He was a quiet, gentle man. He was an avid gardener and he loved nature. He was particularly interested in the TV show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. He was not a threat to anyone’s safety and was passionate about his family. It is extremely sad to me and my family that he and many other undeserving Italian internees suffered and were traumatized by such an injustice.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga

SOURCES:

• Correspondence with Rosemarie Sanguiro Howarth, daughter of Ettore Sanguiro, via Sylvia Romanelli Lennon, granddaughter of Ettore Sanguiro. Project Staff at Columbus Centre, November 2012.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 655, Internee File 3820 “Ettore Sanguiro.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 6, Letter from Louis St. Laurent, Minister of Justice, to S.T. Wood, RCMP Commissioner, 16 Dec. 1942.

POW #: P728
ARRESTED: July 30, 1940
RELEASED: October 29, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Partner, A.C. Sansone Company

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

Antonio Chiariano Sansone was married to Mary and the couple had one son. The family residence was located at 101 Park St. North in Hamilton. Sansone and F.P. Schiavo co-owned the A.C. Sansone Company, a wholesale fruit business located at 245½  St. James St. North. Antonio and Mary co-owned two properties in St. Catharines, Ontario.  

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 664, Internee File 4691 “Antonio Chiariano Sansone.”

POW #: P667
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: April 02, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: February 02, 1899
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Doctor

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Dr. Donato Sansone lived at 592 Spadina Ave. in Toronto. His doctor’s office was also located at this address. Sansone had begun his practice a few years prior to being interned. He supported his parents and a sister.

Sansone’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Toronto without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 660, Internee File 4246 “Donato Sansone.”

POW #: P571
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 28, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Carmelo Santelli was married to Vincenzina Vetere and the couple had two children: Lea (b. 1924) and Egidio (b. 1934). The Santellis lived at 6711 Papineau Ave. in Montreal. While Carmelo was interned, Vincenzina received $6.20 a week in relief payments.

Santelli’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 661, Internee File 4374 “Carmello Santelli.”

POW #: P425
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 19, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN: November 17, 1904
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Steamship agent, Italian Line

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Antonio Domenico Sartori arrived in Canada in either 1912 or 1913 and likely travelled with his parents. As an adult, he lived with his parents at 6771 Drolet St. in Montreal and paid them seven or eight dollars a week for board when he could afford it. His work as a steamship agent had suffered due to the outbreak of World War II.

Prior to September 11, 1939, Sartori’s business was located at 1410 Stanley St. but then moved to 1010 St Catherine St. West.

Sartori denied being a member of Fascio Giovanni Luparini though he did know a few of the Italian Canadian fascists in Montreal but was not close friends with them. He did admit to being a member of the Casa d’Italia and the Order Sons of Italy but stated this was simply to help with his business. Sartori had never been to Italy.

Sartori’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvment in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 666, Internee File 4808 “Antonio Domenico Sartori.”
• Library and Archives Canada, James Duncan Hyndman fonds:  MG30, E 182, Vol. 14, Letter to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 16 Apr. 1941.

POW #:
ARRESTED:
RELEASED:
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S):
TOWN/CITY:
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

No biography available for this internee.

POW #: P252
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 25, 1943
NATURALIZED: June 30, 1930
BORN: September 04, 1882
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Former labourer, Canadian Pacific Railway

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Giuseppe Sassone lived at 214 Bellwoods Ave. in Toronto. His eldest son Michele also lived in Toronto though records do not indicate if they lived together. Sassone’s wife and his four younger children lived in Italy. 

In the 1930s, Sassone lived in North Bay as a labourer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. On January 15, 1935 he was involved in an accident that led to the amputation of his left arm three inches below the shoulder. As a result of the accident, he received $29.50 per month from the Workmen’s Compensation Board of Ontario. These payments, however, were suspended once he was interned.

Sassone’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Toronto without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk

SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 643, Internee File 3569 “Giuseppe Sassone.”

POW #: P796
ARRESTED: June 19, 1940
RELEASED: December 11, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 and Regulation 25 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

There is very little information known about Felice Sauro. His name appears on the government list of “members of the fascio of Canadian nationality whose examination should be ordered under Regulation 21 of the Defence of Canada Regulations.”

At the time of his arrest, he was married to Maria Daddario. His Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) file notes that the couple had four children: Corona was twelve, Paul was  nine, Leo was six, and Antoine was one. However, from other government documents, it appears that Maria Daddorio was the estranged wife of another internee Giuseppe Soccio, and he is likely the biological father of the four children. During Soccio’s and Sauro’s internments, Maria lived with Pasquale Sauro’s wife, who is likely Felice Sauro’s brother.

Sauro was interned at Camp Petawawa on July 4, 1940. His CEP file notes that his family suffered financial hardship and applied for government relief.

The reasons for his release are not available. He was issued a Parole Certificate.

Other biographical information is lacking.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What was the nature of Sauro’s activities with the fascio?
What work did Sauro do?
What happened to Sauro after the war?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces: RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 656, Internee File 3858, “Felice Sauro.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 661, Internee File 4375 “Giuseppe Soccio.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.

POW #: P879
ARRESTED: September 07, 1940
RELEASED: December 27, 1940
NATURALIZED: October 28, 1913
BORN: May 19, 1891
DIED: April 28, 1971

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Reverend, Treasurer

RELEASE NOTES: Unconditional release

Libero Sauro was born on May 19, 1891, in Ripabottoni, Italy, and came to Canada when he was about 16 years old. Around 1913, he married his first wife and they had five sons. After his wife passed away, Sauro sent his sons to Montreal to stay with their maternal grandmother. Meanwhile, Sauro attended Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto (1927-1928). While visiting Sault Ste. Marie, Sauro met Clementina Lanzilotta, whom he married on June 29, 1928. They had four children.

In 1934, Sauro was appointed as the minister of St. Paul’s Italian United Church on College and Lippincott streets in Toronto. The family left Niagara Falls, where they had been living, and settled in a predominantly Anglo neighbourhood in the northern part of Toronto. 

On September 7, 1940, officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested Sauro at his home. Elvino Sauro believes the arrest was due to his father’s affiliation with the Order Sons of Italy or because of an informant. Elvino Sauro was eight years old then. He remembers the day his father was arrested:

He was not at home when the RCMP arrived to search our home… My mother told me who they were when they arrived and something about why they were there. I feared they would take away the few children’s books my mother owned to help us to learn to speak Italian. So I went and got them and hid them under my mother’s pillow… When my father got home, the RCMP went out on the sidewalk in front of our house to meet him where their car was waiting, as did my mother and I. He took out his wallet and gave it to my mother and said something that I don’t remember, and then the RCMP took him away. They did not use handcuffs (Elvino Sauro, February 2011).

Sylvia Sauro was nine years old at the time. She was riding her two-wheel bike when she saw a shiny black car pull up at the curb. She was puzzled when her mother told her to stay outside. Sylvia rode around a very long block and back. Sylvia recalled, “By that time the car was gone and so was my father. My mother was upset because I couldn’t be found when my father had to leave, and he had wanted to say goodbye to me” (Sylvia Sauro, February 2011).

Sauro was taken to Don Jail for two days. He was then sent to the Veteran’s Home Guard, “a rickety set of buildings” near College and Lansdowne. He stayed there until there were enough people to make a cost effective transfer to Petawawa. This was unlike the case of other Toronto internees, who were detained at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds (Bagnell, 83). Sylvia Sauro remembers her mother visiting her father during his detainment period, and bringing him fresh underwear and grapes: “He never got them, depriving him of a small gift from home” (Sylvia Sauro, February 2011).

Sauro described his time at Landsdown barracks, under the scrutiny of Major Lindsay and his officers, who were “almost always drunk” and subjected the men to terror. He wrote:

…We had to do all kinds of work, I, Minister of the Gospel, among other things had to carry cases of beer on my shoulders and pick up cigarette butts … as matter [sic] of fact we welcomed work because it helped us “to forget,” but to be called monkeys, rats, bastards and some other names which are not proper to repeat, for no cause whatever, did not help much to keep our morale high. However, we tried our best to bear the lot and be happy. But being happy or showing him semblance of happiness did not help us much because if Sergeant Major Mack ever saw us happy … he would call Captain Davidson to address us who, besides the usual threats, would spare no words of terrible insults. At one time our bread was rationed, then we, prisoners, were sent in a military truck to dump in the City incinerator plant six cases of untouched bread… In fairness, I must say that one Officer and one only, Lieutenant Chapple, when on duty kept sound discipline and great consideration.  All in all it was 45 days of moral torture and it was a great relief to us when on October 24 we were brought to Petawawa where we found a Commandant, Lieut-Colonel Pense, who, by administering with true discipline, is loved and respected by everybody” (Libero Sauro, The Globe and Mail, April 23, 1941).

Sauro was interned for about two months at Camp Petawawa. At the same time, his five sons were in the Canadian services, with two fighting overseas. 

According to government records, Sauro was thought to be an influential organizer and agitator in the Italian community of Toronto and surrounding area. They were suspicious of his frequent travels to Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Welland, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay. He was also thought to be a member of the fascio. As a member of the Grand Council of the Order Sons of Italy in Ontario, it was thought that he was spreading fascist propaganda. The titles he had lead to further suspicion: Assistant Grand Administrative Secretary of the Order Sons of Italy (1934-1936) and Grand Administrative Secretary of the Order Sons of Italy (1936). Sauro’s activities with the Order Sons of Italy were often reported in Il Bollettino, including a speech which was printed on Oct. 18, 1935. The RCMP noted: “It will be recalled that recent investigation has established that in purpose and doctrine the fascio and the Order of the Sons of Italy are synonymous” (Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 1). Thus, the RCMP charged Sauro with membership in the fascio and related organizations.

During his internment, his family barely had enough to survive. His son said, “I remember my mother sending me out with bouquets of flowers (grown in the family’s backyard) to sell to our neighbours because there wasn’t enough money coming in. I found it embarrassing” (Elvino Sauro, February 2011).

In addition to the financial burden on the family, the Sauro children faced discrimination by their peers. In one incident, Elvino Sauro was beaten up by two neighbourhood kids – one of them a former playmate. “I have never forgotten that because the reason they did it was solely because of my origin” (Elvino Sauro, February 2011). Fortunately, Silvio Sauro was never alienated at school, but he recalled that friends on their street became nasty: they called him and his siblings “dirty wops.” Cinna Sauro, who was five years old at the time, also recalled this slur used against her (Cinna Sauro, February 2011). 

Silvio Sauro noted, “My overwhelming recollection was how my mother took charge of things”  (Silvio Sauro, February 2011). One of his father’s duties at the Order Sons of Italy was to sign cheques paid out to members upon their death. While his father was interned, his mother looked after this, mailing the cheques out to Petawawa for Sauro’s signature.

Clementina Sauro was diligent in her mission to have her husband released. She wrote to M.J. Coldwell, a Social Democratic politician and a fellow clergyman. Coldwell raised the issue of Sauro’s internment in the House of Commons, pointing out that the latter’s sons were in the Canadian services. Sauro was eventually released on December 26, 1940. He never talked to his children about his time in the camp, but he did say that he worked. Elvino Sauro fondly recalled, “He was a heavy person when he went in and I don’t know how many pounds he lost but I remember him showing the notches in his belt that he didn’t need to use [laughing]. So he had lost a good deal of weight which was a good, healthy thing for him” (Interview with Elvino Sauro, June 21, 2011).

Sauro is remembered by his children as a man who was always willing to help others. He was well known in the Italian community because of his leadership at St. Paul’s Italian United Church, and his role at the Order Sons of Italy. Before his own internment in the fall of 1940, many wives of internees came to him for guidance, including the wife of James Franceschini, a very wealthy businessman. One of the four Italian Canadian women imprisoned at the Kingston Penitentiary Prison, Luisa Guagneli, who knew Sauro from Niagara Falls, also wrote to him for help. After his own release, Sauro continued to help other internees and their families. In one record, internee Luigi Ciano wrote to Reverend Sauro to thank him for taking care of his furniture” (Luigi Ciano to Reverend Libero Sauro, Jan. 30, 1941.) There is also an indication that he may have held a safety deposit box for internee, Teodoro Zambri.

On March 26, 1942, as a result of complaints, Sauro was stripped of his position as warden for the Air Raid Patrol (ARP). In response, Sauro stated that he was naturalized as soon as he was of age, and that he had not been back to Italy since his arrival to Canada. Furthermore, he stated that his nine children did not speak Italian. They were 100 per cent Canadian, and five of them were in the war service. Sauro did not retain his position as warden.

Libero Sauro passed away on April 28, 1971.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga 

SOURCES:    

• Bagnell, Kenneth. Canadese: A Portrait of the Italian Canadians. Toronto: Macmillan, 1989.
• Ciano, Luigi. Petawawa, to Reverend Libero Sauro, Toronto, Jan. 30, 1941. Courtesy of the Family of Libero and Clementina Sauro. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Correspondence with Cinna Faveri, Daughter of Libero Sauro. Project Staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, February 2011.
• Correspondence with Elvino Sauro, Son of Libero Sauro. Project Staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, February 2011.
• Correspondence with Silvio Sauro, Son of Libero Sauro. Project Staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, February 2011.
• Correspondence with Sylvia Lowry, Daughter of Libero Sauro. Project Staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, February 2011.
• Interview with Elvino Sauro. June 21, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 643, Internee File 2883, “Teodoro Zambri.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 1.
• Minister’s Orders. List V1 & V2.
• Sauro, Clementina. In the Matter of the War Measures Act, RSC 206, and in the Matter of the Application of Libero Sauro, of the City of Toronto, in the County of York, Minister, Toronto, Dec. 5, 1940. Courtesy of the Family of Libero and Clementina Sauro. Columbus Centre Collection.

POW #: P798
ARRESTED: July 04, 1940
RELEASED: April 16, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Had to report monthly to RCMP

Little information is known about Pasquale Sauro.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk.
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 1, “Minister’s Orders – Italian,” no date.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 5, Letter from Louis St. Laurent, Minister of Justice, to S.T. Wood, RCMP Commissioner, 16 May 1942.

POW #: P580
ARRESTED: June 17, 1940
RELEASED: June 09, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: January 04, 1902
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Owner, Country Grill

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Emanuele Savona lived at 6764 Drolet St. in Montreal. Prior to his internment he had owned the Country Grill on Ste. Dorothée St. in Laval, Quebec. 

Savona’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 690, Internee File 7346 “Emanuele Savona.”

POW #: P871
ARRESTED:
RELEASED: February 12, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: December 16, 1918
DIED:

CAMP(S): Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Employee, Liquid Carbonic Canadian Corp. Ltd.

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon his subscribing to a special undertaking

Enrico Sbragi was born in Montreal. At the time of his internment he lived at 6302 Jogues St. in the Ville Emard neighbourhood of Montreal. His parents were naturalized in 1924. His mother, Fosca Guenci Giubilei, was listed as his beneficiary. 

He worked for the Liquid Carbonic Canadian Corp. Ltd. at 2120 Cabot St., but it is unclear what his position was.

During his internment, the $155 in his bank account and the unknown amount in his pension fund were transferred to the Custodian of Enemy Property. Shortly after his release, Sbragi wrote a letter asking that these funds be returned to him.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 

Do you know…
When was Enrico Sbragi arrested and sent to the internment camp?
What did Enrico Sbragi do at the Liquid Carbonic Canadian Corp. Ltd.?
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 2162, Internee File 9940, “Enrico Sbragi.”

POW #: P667
ARRESTED: July 12, 1940
RELEASED: December 14, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Reverend, Italian Church of the Redeemer

RELEASE NOTES: Ordered to leave Canada after December 1943 release

During the 1920s, Reverend Domenico Scalera worked as a school teacher in Tunisia. Eventually, he moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, where he worked as a Baptist minister. At some point, he became an American citizen. While in Lynn he also wrote articles for the Massachusetts Gazette.

Scalera arrived in Montreal in 1938 on the request of Reverend Augusto Bersani to act as assistant pastor of the Italian Church of the Redeemer located at 6752 De Gaspe St. That same year, Reverend Bersani was implicated in financial irregularities at the church and forced to resign. Reverend Scalera then became Bersani’s replacement. Scalera was ordained in 1939.

Scalera was married to Flora and the couple had two daughters. The family lived at 6754 Cartier St.

Based on information provided by an informant, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) believed that Scalera was an important fascist who had been sent to Tunisia, the United States (US) and Canada at the behest of the Italian government to further the fascist cause. Canadian authorities believed that Scalera used the immunity of his religious office to further Italy’s fascist aims. He was also accused of making anti-British statements. These allegations led to the reverend’s internment in July 1940. Scalera was eventually released from Petawawa on January 31, 1941. However, after a few months of freedom he was re-interned. RCMP Commissioner S.T. Wood believed that Scalera had given contradictory statements during the camp hearing that led to his release. According to Wood, Scalera had at first denied knowing a Captain Alfredo Bonfanti while living in Tunisia. Bonfanti was a well-known fascist who had moved to Montreal but fled to the US to avoid internment. Scalera later admitted that he had met Bonfanti in Tunisia but that “This Bonfanti was against me because he is a member of the Fascio.” The RCMP also had more allegations against Scalera including his being a member of the Organizzazione per la Vigilanza e la Repressione dell’Antifascismo (OVRA, Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Fascism). Wood felt that Scalera’s testimony at the hearing was done in “bad faith” and requested that the reverend be re-interned. Scalera was re-arrested on May 9, 1941.

It should be noted that the main informant against Scalera was the disgraced Augusto Bersani. He was also responsible for the internment of members of the Italian Church of the Redeemer’s congregation. He blamed them for his forced resignation as the church’s pastor.   

Scalera was released from Fredericton Internment Camp on December 14, 1943, and was ordered by Canadian authorities to leave Canada. In 1944, Scalera had returned to the United States and was living in New York City.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 1995, Internee File 4366 “Domenico Scalera.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 1, Letter from Norman A. Robertson, Chair of the Inter-Departmental Committee, to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 8 July 1940.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 3, Letter from S.T. Wood, RCMP Commissioner, to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 28 Apr. 1941.

POW #: P706
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: August 20, 1941
NATURALIZED: 1914
BORN: February 13, 1903
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Lawyer, MacDonell and Boland

RELEASE NOTES: Unconditional release

American-born Nicholas Francis Anthony Scandiffio came to Canada from the United States in 1908. He began practicing law in 1930 with MacDonell and Boland located at 217 Bay St. in Toronto. Scandiffio, his sister Helen and their father rented a home at 258 Rusholme Rd. 

Scandiffio had stocks in the following companies: Advanced Red lake Gold Mines, Dunop Consolidated Mines and the Iroquois Exploration Syndicate.

Scandiffio denied being a member of Toronto’s Fascio Principe Umberto. However, he had been a member of the dopolavoro from 1936 to 1938, which he, in his capacity as a lawyer, incorporated under the Ontario “Companies Act.” Scandiffio claimed that his membership in the dopolavoro was strictly business related. At the time of his arrest, Scandiffio trained with the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Toronto. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Islington Golf Club, the Catholic Laymen’s Retreat Association, the Holy Name Society, the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Lawyer’s Club among others. While interned, Scandiffio was unable to pay the membership fee of the Lawyer’s Club and was threatened with expulsion. He also raised money for the Canadian Red Cross and the Young Men’s Christian Association, and gave free legal advice to those who could not afford to pay legal fees. Scandiffio was a member of the Separate School Board from 1934 until his internment.  

In a camp letter to someone named Gordon, Scandiffio wrote, “We are having perfect weather here and I am taking advantage of it to obtain a good tan.” According to author Kenneth Bagnell, the lawyer helped fellow internees prepare their appeals for camp hearings.   According to the family, “Gordon” was a Gordon Watson, a good friend & highly regarded Toronto lawyer, Gordon Watson.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Bagnell, Kenneth. Canadese: A Portrait of the Italian Canadians. Toronto: Macmillan, 1989.
• Correspondence with Scand, Sandra, family of Nicholas Scandiffio. Project Staff, June, 2013.
• Library and Archives Canada, James Duncan Hyndman fonds:  MG30, E 182, Vol. 14, Letter to Louis St. Laurent, Minister of Justice, 16 Dec. 1941.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 671, Internee File 5041 “Nicholas Francis Anthony Scandiffio.”

POW #: P707
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: December 03, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Business man, Owner of King George Hotel

Frank Scappatura was born in Italy. He came from a good family and according to his nephew, Anthony De Marco, the Scappatura farm was so bountiful that it had fed half the people in the village during the war (unclear which one).

At some point, Scappatura moved to New York, USA, and then to North Bay, Canada to join his brother-in-law, Carmine De Marco. Once in North Bay, Scappatura managed to create a comfortable lifestyle for himself; he had a big corner house with a huge garden located in the downtown area (61 Ferguson St.) and he owned the King George Hotel (also on Ferguson St.) Scappatura originally co-owned the hotel with his brother but the latter died young from cancer. 

With the outbreak of World War II, Scappatura was interned along with another brother of his, Vincenzo (Vincent) Scappatura. His brother-in-law, De Marco, was also interned. Scappatura was interned for four months, while his brother, Vincenzo, was interned for 3 years.

A month after Scappatura’s arrest, Western Assurance Company wrote to the Custodian of Enemy Property requesting to cancel two policies held in Scapaptura’s name for a 1936 Chrysler Limousine. The policies covered public liability and property damage, as well as fire and theft, but both were due to expire the following year.

In February of 1941, Scappatura had his lawyer write to the Custodian of Enemy Property requesting for the return of items taken from him upon his arrest. These items were: a Colt Automatic 32 caliber, a 30-30 Winchester rifle, a Savage automatic 32 caliber, a double-barrelled 12 gauge shotgun, and a 22 rifle.

According to Anthony De Marco, neither his father or his uncles talked about life in the camp.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Interview with Anthony De Marco, nephew of Frank and Vincenzo (Vincent) Scappatura. August 9, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 1948, Internee File 3252 “Frank Scappatura.”
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V2.

POW #: P324
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 25, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: May 06, 1889
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Sudbury
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Unemployed

Vincenzo (Vincent) Scappatura was born on May 6, 1889 in Podargoni, Reggio Calabria, Italy. According to his nephew, Anthony De Marco, the Scappatura farm in Italy was so bountiful that during the war (unclear which one), the farm fed half of the people in the village.

In 1940, Scappatura was living at 45 Worthington St. in Sudbury. His wife, Carmela Siclari Scappatura, and his three children lived back home in Italy.  When he was arrested on June 10, 1940, Scappatura’s personal effects included 220 lire. He stated that he worked as a contractor but that he was currently unemployed.

Scappatura was interned for about three years; upon his release he had to take “a special undertaking” because of his “conditional release.” Scappatura had family members also interned. His brother, Frank Scappatura, and his brother-in-law, Carmine De Marco, both of North Bay, were interned at Camp Petawawa for four and five months respectively. Unlike his brother, Frank, Vincenzo never received his Canadian citizenship.

Anthony De Marco recalls how neither his dad nor his uncles ever talked about their experiences in the camp. He mentions that his uncle Vincenzo never returned to Italy and died in Canada while living with the De Marco family.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 

SOURCES:

• Interview with Anthony De Marco, nephew of Vincenzo (Vincent) and Frank Scappatura. August 9, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 655, Internee File 3822 “Vincenzo Scappatura.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): RG18, Vol. 3569, File E.
• Minister’s Orders List.

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: August 17, 1940
NATURALIZED: 1926
BORN: 1888
DIED: December 09, 1976

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Ottawa
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Chef; Travelling Inspector for Canadian National Railway (CNR)

Before he came to Ottawa, Carlo (Charles) Scarabelli had worked at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. Scarabelli left home at 13 and trained as a chef. He spent years working in kitchens in Europe and as far away as Singapore.

In 1940, Scarabelli was the executive chef at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. He had been living in Canada for 20 years and had become a citizen (a naturalized British subject).

He was awarded the Meritorium Star of Labour Decoration in 1938 by the Italian government. There was some confusion about Scarabelli’s true political affiliation: “Investigation made subsequent to this person’s internment indicated that his sentiments have been and presently are those of an anti-Fascist. During the years of 1936 to 1938 he became affiliated to a certain extent with Fascism but it has now been established that this action was motivated purely as a result of pressure brought to bear through members of his family in Italy, the church and Italian Consular officials” (Letter from Norman A. Robertson to E. Lapointe, Minister of Justice, August 12, 1940).

He had been interned at Petawawa since July 19, 1940, but the information about Scarabelli’s anti-fascism, provided by informant SA 203, eventually resulted in his release: “The Agent advised that he had been aware of the subject’s true sentiments for several months prior to Italy’s declaration of war but had no occasion to report this information to these Headquarters since he did not consider that the subject would be considered for internment (Letter from Norman A. Robertson to E. Lapointe, Minister of Justice, August 12, 1940).

The Custodian of Enemy Property had placed an ad in the Ottawa Citizen, a notice to potential creditors of Scarabelli’s internment. The Custodian of Enemy Property charged Scarabelli $145.13 (a significant amount in those days), to which he objected: “He is only a working man, and his finances are such that he lives on merely what he earns month to month. As he was in custody for something less than a month, I respectfully ask that no charge be made in this case” (Letter from Scarabelli’s Lawyer to G.G. Beckett, June 12, 1944).

After his release, the government continued to monitor his affairs: “It might be advised to bring to the attention of the Intelligence Committee the fact that this party is now the Travelling Inspector for the C.N.R. hotels and travels all over the Dominion” (Memorandum, G.W. McPherson, Counsel for the Custodian of Enemy Property, date unknown).

However, the above report conflicts with other accounts, which note that Scarabelli returned to Chateau Laurier. In fact, he is said to have prepared the meal for Winston Churchill and 500 other guests on December 30, 1941. Churchill personally thanked the chef. He remained at the Chateau Laurier until 1949, and retired in 1966 after having worked in other cities in the United States and Europe.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
Why did Scarabelli leave the Chateau Laurier in 1949?
Who is informant SA 203?
 
SOURCES:

• Filoso, Angelo et al. Memories to Memorial: The Internment of Ottawa’s Italian Canadians During the Second World War. Ottawa: Italian Canadian Community Centre of the National Capital Region, 2011.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 657, Internee File 3898, “Carlo (Charles) Scarabelli.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 1.

POW #: P206
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 21, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: October 15, 1904
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Cape Breton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Miner; Business man, Owner/Operator of small grocery store

RELEASE NOTES: Released conditionally upon his first subscribing to the Undertaking set out in Regulation 24 of the DOCR, and further, that he subscribe to a special Undertaking. See below for further details.

Romano Scattolon lived on Mitchell Ave. in Dominion, NS. He was married and had three sons. He worked as a miner but he also operated a small grocery store in his home. According to his youngest son, Geno Scattolon, life was fair: “Home life was very good. My father provided for all of us. We moved from one section of the town to a little confectionary store. And it proved out good…had a garden, had a cow, had a pig ― it had chickens!”

On June 10, 1940, Scattolon was arrested. His boys were 16, 14, and 11 at the time. Geno Scattolon remembers the day that his father was arrested:

I was in the house when I saw him coming down the street. And there was a car outside, picked him up by the arm, and put him in the car and they were gone. He never had the chance to come in say, “Hi”, “Goodbye,” or nothing… All I know is one Mountie went downstairs and emptied a bottle of wine down the drain. I don’t know why. They took our money and I think they gave us two dollars a week to live on. That’s basically it. 

Geno Scattolon said his family never received word as to why his father was interned, nor were they told where he was going when they took him away that day. They did know, however, that he went to Sydney Jail along with others, including “his favourite, good friend, Pietro (Peter) Favretto.”

A month after Scattolon’s arrest and internment, an investigation into his affairs discovered that he had a bank account in Italy with a balance of 30 056 lira. He didn’t own a car but he did have a radio. Moreover, the investigator stated that Scattolon’s “small store” appeared to be just the front room of their home converted into a place where “beer was sold by the glass.” Further, that their property was small and located in a tough neighbourhood. The structure itself was a two-storey frame building with poor quality household furnishings.

In November of 1940, five months after Scattolon’s internment, his wife wrote a letter requesting assistance from the Custodian of Enemy Property.  Geno Scattolon said it was tough times for the family as he remembers stealing coal with his brothers. He also remembers his family being harassed:

In the little store we had we used to sell salami. People would come in and buy salami. So this gentleman would come in and wanted salami and my mother cut it for him and gave it to him. And he wouldn’t pay for it. So Uncle Louie was in the kitchen. So Uncle Louie came out with that knife. He said, “If you don’t pay for that salami I’ll slice your head off.” He was mad because he to look for something free. And that’s basically it … apart from that it was okay.

Scattolon said that his eldest brother, Orlando, took over the reins during their father’s absence. Family members, especially his Uncle Louie, also helped out during this time. Government records contain a letter (dated April 25, 1942) stating that Mrs. Scattolon had not requested further assistance since her letter of 1940.

Scattalon spent about two years in both Camp Petawawa and Camp Fredericton. His son said he worked in the woods cutting pulp. He was released on September 21, 1942. Upon his release, Scattolon was ordered to report monthly to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Further, he could not change his place of residence or leave New Waterford, without first checking with the RCMP. Lastly, he was restricted from saying or doing anything that would go against Canada and her allies or their war effort. Geno Scattolon recalls of his father’s return home as a joyous day with the house full of people to welcome him home. Scattolon brought home a carved wooden ship from Petawawa and a charcoal portrait of himself. The items have since been lost by the family.

His son states that Scattolon did not talk much about the internment period: “He didn’t say that they were ill-treated or anything. He just didn’t mention it.”  However, his father did mention the types of people who were in the camp with him such as lawyers, doctors, and ordinary people and friends who were interned with him like Mario Furini, also from Dominion, and Dominic Nardocchio from nearby Sydney.  He also mentioned Dr. Luigi Pancaro who apparently he knew very well. According to Geno Scattolon, his father met some nice people in the camp.

Back home, Scattolon could not reclaim his position at the mines so he instead went to work at the steel plant. Afterwards, the mines called him back to offer his job back. Scattolon was able to return to his daily life. He even became the President of the Italian Community Hall in Dominion within a couple of years after his release. In this position, Scattolon organized charity events, yearly festivals, and even raised money to renovate the hall.

According to Geno Scattolon, his father kept in touch with fellow internees, such as Luigi Pancaro. He also remembers going to Montreal with his father one summer to visit Pietro (Peter) Favretto.

Scattalon is survived by his youngest son.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Interview with Geno Scattolon, son of Romano Scattolon. June 22, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG117, vol. 695, File 11129, Internee file, “Romano Scattolon.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18 F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6.
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V6.

POW #: P830
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: February 13, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: July 04, 1892
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Physician and surgeon

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Dr. Ignazio Scozzafave was married to Dora Ferioli (b. December 9, 1907) and the couple had two daughters (b. 1934 and 1940, respectively). The Scozzafaves lived at 247 King St. in Welland.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) considered Scozzafave to be the “leader of subversive activities” in the Welland area. According to his daughter Mary Lou, “[My father] was not a political person at all. But as the best-educated Italian in the community he was vulnerable”.

Scozzafave’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the RCMP once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Welland without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Bagnell, Kenneth. Canadese: A Portrait of the Italian Canadians. Toronto: Macmillan, 1989.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 649, Internee File 3347 “Ignazio Scozzafave.”

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 12, 1941
NATURALIZED: October 21, 1913
BORN: April 26, 1877
DIED: May 02, 1948

CAMP(S):
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur/Businessman, A.D. Sebastiani Inc.

Alfredo Domenico Sebastiani was a proud Italian. He served in northern Italy during World War I. He later became a successful salesman with Singer Sewing in Pescara, Italy, but decided to seek greater fortune in Canada. He was a shoe factory worker when he first arrived in Montreal. He later established several profitable shoe factories, including La Gioconda Shoe Manufacturing Co., which made a jewel-encrusted pair of shoes for the Queen in the 1930s. By 1940, Alfredo D. Sebastiani was a very wealthy man.

He was engaged to one of the Cerini daughters, who died of tuberculosis. Sebastiani later married the younger sister, Alice, who was born in Canada. Their only child, Dorotea, died in infancy. Sebastiani sponsored two of his nephews, Giuseppe and Antonio Di Pietro, to work in his factory. The Di Pietro brothers were positioned to take over the business in the future.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Sebastiani attained much status. He lived in Outremont and was the mayor of Baie d’Urfé. His wife Alice was a member of the prestigious British Empire Society and the Kiwanis Club. Along with his ties to the French and English establishment, Sebastiani had access to the upper class of Italian Canadians: the Italian Consul Giuseppe Brigidi and others. During the 1930s he served as the Grande Venerabile of the Grande Loggia of the Order Sons of Italy:

But it was above all the cavaliere Sebastiani who financially supported the Ordine. Towards the end of the 1920s, he succeeded in organizing the general convention of the Ordine for all of North America. He had to lay out $25,000 – a considerable sum in those days. Mr. Sebastiani could afford to pay that kind of money, since he owned a shoe factory, la Gioconda (Interview with Piero Bracci).

Sebastiani also donated $1,000 to build the Casa d’Italia and served as its first president until 1937:

Mr. Sebastiani (who is a most active Fascist) resigned from the Casa d’Italia due to the fact that he could not agree with the less militant policy of the present Italian Consul in regard to Fascism. Sebastiani is understood to have desired that the Marquis de Simone walk in the footsteps of his predecessor, Mr. de Brigidi, but this Marquis de Simone was apparently unwilling to do with the result that Sebastiani severed his connection with the Casa d’Italia and has threatened to withdraw his financial support from that organisation also. (RCMP, “The Organization and Activities of the Italian Fascist Party in Canada,” Ottawa, 1937)

Knighted as commendatore, Sebastiani may also have provided funds to the Italian government.

Sebastiani was arrested and ordered detained for interrogation. He was confined to house arrest, possibly due to his poor health. From family accounts, he had a serious heart condition and required a wheelchair for mobility. According to government documents, the order against Sebastiani was cancelled on July 12, 1941.* He died in 1948.

His nephews Giuseppe Di Pietro and Antonio Di Pietro were interned in Camp Petawawa. Filippo (Philip) Del Grande, the Managing Director and Secretary-Treasurer of A.D. Sebastiani Inc., was also arrested and interned.

* Our records indicate that a only a handful of amputees, patients recovering from cancer surgery, and others in poor health were interned.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
Why was Sebastiani the only Italian Canadian to be under house arrest?
 
SOURCES:

• Commemorative Program: The Internment of Italian Canadians, 1940-2010. Montreal: CCPI – Casa D’Italia, 2010.
• Interview with Nicholas Di Pietro and Olga Biscotti Di Pietro. October 3, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Interview with Piero Bracci. In Filippo Salvatore’s Fascism and the Italians of Montreal: An Oral History, 1922-1945. Toronto: Guernica, 1998, p. 88.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 1931, Internee File 2896, “Alfredo Domenico Sebastiani.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 146, Vol. 97, File AH-1999/00227. “The Organization and Activities of the Italian Fascist Party in Canada,” Ottawa, 1937.
• Salvatore, Filippo. Fascism and the Italians of Montreal: An Oral History, 1922-1945. Toronto: Guernica, 1998.

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 11, 1940
RELEASED: July 12, 1940
NATURALIZED:
BORN: April 06, 1889
DIED:

CAMP(S):
TOWN/CITY: Trail
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

Very little information exists on Augusto Secco. It is unknown whether he was actually sent to Kananaskis or released from police custody.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3569, File E.

POW #:
ARRESTED: January 28, 1941
RELEASED:
NATURALIZED: 1904
BORN: February 04, 1880
DIED: 1962

CAMP(S): Kananaskis
TOWN/CITY: Southern Alberta
MARITAL STATUS: Widowed
OCCUPATION: Captain

Emilio Sereni left Italy in October 1903 aboard the S.S. Sardegna and arrived at Ellis Island on November 10th of that year. He then entered Canada at Niagara Falls, ON. During World War I Sereni returned to Italy to enlist and received the rank of Captain.

Sereni was married to Enrietta (b. 1879) but she passed away in October 1935. At the time of his internment, Sereni was living with a brother on a farm in Balzac, Alberta.  

When questioned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Sereni admitted to being the secretary of Calgary’s Fascio Mario Sonzini from 1923 to 1928. During that period he was also an organizer of the fascist youth organization Gioventù Italiana del Littorio all’Estero (GILE, Italian Lictor Youth Abroad). Sereni was a confirmed fascist and admirer of Mussolini. After his arrest, he remarked to the RCMP that he was surprised that he had not been arrested as soon as Italy had declared war.  

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 2, Letter from RCMP to Inter-Departmental Committee, 11 Dec. 1940.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 2, Letter from RCMP to Inter-Departmental Committee, 25 Jan. 1941.

POW #: P660
ARRESTED: July 08, 1940
RELEASED: September 26, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Labourer, Shoe Repairer, Gambler, Bootlegger, Bookmaker

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

Some of the Italian Canadian internees may have been interned because of their criminal activities. This group included Michele (Mike) Serge. His cousin Rocco Perri (also interned) was “Canada’s King of the Bootleggers” and one of the most prominent mob bosses in Canadian history. At the time of his arrest, Serge was married to Mary Maranda and had a 22-year-old son and three daughters who were 14, 17 and 19 years old.

Serge was arrested in August 1930. He was driving his car which contained ten gallons of whisky. Perri was in the passenger seat. Serge took all the blame, paid the $400 fine and spent three months in jail. On occasion, Perri hid his cash at Serge’s home.

While in prison, Serge was given special permission to attend the funeral of Bessie Starkman, Perri’s common-law wife. This caused public outrage, especially since a Canadian prisoner had been denied permission to visit his dying father. Some thought this spoke to the influence and power held by Perri and his illegal organization.

Mary Serge was named in Perri’s will: he left her $1,000 and a diamond ring.

His brother Joseph Serge was also interned.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Serge after the war and after Perri’s disappearance?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 670, Internee File 5018, “Michele (Mike) Serge.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 4.
• Nicaso, Antonio. Rocco Perri: The Story of Canada’s Most Notorious Bootlegger. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd., 2004.

POW #: P659
ARRESTED: July 12, 1940
RELEASED: August 25, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN: November 28, 1888
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Operated a small tabacco shop; Bootlegger

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (4) (Defence of Canada Regulations)

Some of the Italian Canadian internees may have been interned because of their criminal activities. This group included Giuseppe (Joseph) Serge. His cousin Rocco Perri (also interned) was “Canada’s King of the Bootleggers” and one of the most prominent mob bosses in Canadian history. Although he was born in Italy, Serge was an American citizen. He was married to Katherine, and they had a 21-year-old daughter named Kathleen. Serge also had two stepsons: Patsy John was 24 and Tony Marando was 30. At the time of his arrest, Serge’s wife Katherine was ill and had been bedridden for years.

Serge played a role in the disappearance of Rocco Perri. Perri and some of his associates attended a meeting which Serge hosted at his home in April 1944. On April 25, Serge contacted police to report Perri’s disappearance. General accounts suggest that Perri was murdered on April 23, and his body dumped into Hamilton Harbour. His enemies wanted him dead. However, author Antonio Nicaso states that Perri sent a letter to Serge on June 19, 1949, claiming that he was in excellent health.

His brother Michele (Mike) Serge was also interned.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Serge after the war and after Perri’s disappearance?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 670, Internee File 5019, “Giuseppe (Joseph) Serge.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3569, File E.
• Nicaso, Antonio. Rocco Perri: The Story of Canada’s Most Notorious Bootlegger. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd., 2004.

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: February 08, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN: June 10, 1921
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Plasterer

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations) and reporting monthly

Not much is known about Giovanni (John) Serniesi. According to government records, at the time of his arrest he was 19 years old and married. His name appears on the spring 1940 government list of “important members of the fascio who are naturalized and whose internment is recommended.”

The Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) maintained a file on this individual. Soon after his internment, his family faced financial hardship and applied for government relief.

The reasons for his release are not available. Biographical information is lacking.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro
 

Do you know…
What was the nature of Serniesi’s involvement with the fascio?
What happened to Serniesi after the war?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces: RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 651, Internee File 3391, “Giovanni (John) Serniesi.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3569, File E.

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: October 15, 1940
NATURALIZED:
BORN: September 01, 1870
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Owner, S. Sgarlatta & Son

No information is known about Saverio Sgarlata’s early life and immigration to Canada. At the time of his arrest, he was 70 years old, and the owner of S. Sgarlatta & Son. He had been a fruit and general merchant for 42 years. Married to Vincenza, the couple had two sons, Jack and Frank. His name appears on the government list dating to spring 1940 of “Important Members of the Fascio who are naturalized and whose internment is recommended”.

In a review of Sgarlata’s case, Justice J.D. Hyndman initially recommended Sgarlata’s release. However, an intelligence officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) objected to Hyndman’s judgment. The officer noted that the evidence against Sgarlata included information submitted by Special Agent 203 (who was most likely Augusto Bersani). Bersani provided a list compiled by Camillo Vetere – the national delegate of the fascio in Canada, a member of the directorate of the Montreal fascio, and editor of L’Italia. Vetere’s list seemed to come from the Consul General of Italy and noted Sgarlata as a fascist leader likely to be interned in case of war with Great Britain. The officer further notes that Sgarlata also had fascist literature in his home:

A strong point is made in the memorandum of the fact that considerable Italian literature, some of it of a Fascist nature, was found in this man’s possession. I do not think that this alone should be considered as satisfactory proof of disloyalty, for what is more natural than that this man, an Italian with friends and relatives in Italy and having visited Italy in 1938, should have Italian literature in his house. (JD Hyndman to Minister of Justice, Memorandum Re. Saverio Sgarlata, 40D-269-4E-203, 18 Sep 1940, JD Hyndman fonds, MG30, E 182, Vol 14, LAC)

Other evidence against Sgarlata included a letter written to him while he was in Italy by his son. In the letter, the son asks if Sgarlata had seen Mussolini. He also hoped his father would be enlisted in the Italian army. In response to this specific claim, Hyndman writes: “In view of this man’s age, which, in 1938 was about 68 or 69 years, it seems a bit ridiculous that a conclusion should be drawn that he might be eligible for military service in Italy” (JD Hyndman fonds, MG30, E 182, Vol 14, LAC).

In the end, Justice Hyndman recommended release. Overall, he notes:

I am bound to say that the material upon which objection to release is based, is not of a very satisfactory character so far as legal proof is concerned although it is worthy of serious consideration … If evidence was forthcoming connecting this man with the fascist cause or some Fascist organization this statement by the Consul would naturally be of a very great importance, but on the material as a whole I am unable to so regard it. It is just possible that this Italian was well known in Consular circles, and the fact that he was a fairly wealthy man might possibly lead them to conclude that he might be the object of suspicion to the Canadian authorities. (JD Hyndman to Minister of Justice, Memorandum Re. Saverio Sgarlata, 40D-269-4E-203, 18 Sep 1940, JD Hyndman fonds, MG30, E 182, Vol 14, LAC)

Sgarlata did have substantial assets. According to his Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) file his wealth totalled $87,579.01. Interned for four months, he was charged a $95.30 administration fee, to which he objected. His lawyer writes:

It occurs to me that there is an important question of principle involved here. Mr. Sgarlata was interned and after due and ample inquiry by the appointed authorities he was released. From the fact of his release it follows that he must have been completely vindicated of any suspicion of wrongdoing. The supervision of his assets was not in any sense requested by him, nor was in any way beneficial to him. (Will A. Donohue, letter to CEP, November 20, 1940. RG 117 Vol 651 File 3436, LAC)

He also had the support of his bank manager, who wrote on his behalf:

In this case, Mr. Sgarlata found it necessary to employ a lawyer and this gentleman charged him $600 for his services … Mr. Sgarlata is in the Fruit business and, as a result of the stigma attached to him by his having been interned, this business has been ruined. While he was fairly treated during internment, it was a severe blow to his pride and there is no doubt that his health has been affected. As regards his being an enemy to the state, his release from internment bespeaks for his innocence…He appears to be an innocent victim of circumstance. While he is still worth a considerable amount of money, his means of livelihood are gone. (Illegible signature, letter to CEP, December 7, 1940. RG 117 Vol 651 File 3436, LAC)

Nothing is known of his life after the war.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Sgarlata after the war?

SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG 117, Vol 651, File 3436.
• Library and Archives Canada, JD Hyndman fonds: MG30, E 182, Vol 14, Memorandum Re Saverio Sgarlata, 40D-269-4E-203, 18 Sep 1940.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.

POW #: P811
ARRESTED: June 13, 1940
RELEASED: December 15, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: November 15, 1888
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Butcher, Canada Packers

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (Defence of Canada Regulations) and reporting monthly to the RCMP

Luigi Sguigna came to Canada at 16 to work on the railways. He was the eldest of three brothers to come to Canada. Sguigna had been working as a butcher for Canada Packers, for several years, before his internment. He was married to Anna and had two sons, aged 19 and 27, at the time of his arrest.

According to his niece, Marie Prospero, Sguigna was a prominent figure in the Italian community and belonged to many social clubs. This may have led to his arrest. The Custodian of Enemy Property records state that Sguigna had a $500 insurance policy with the Order Sons of Italy, which may have also contributed to his internment. His brother was also arrested but was released soon afterwards.

On my dad’s side, Luigi Sguigna, he was kept in the internment camp throughout the Second World War. But, one cold winter night, the RCMP came knocking on our door and took my father away. Temporarily, they took him to the nearest jail — we were living on Winona Drive, and the nearest jail was on Oakwood, not far away. Well, my mother collected his medals and went there in the middle of the night and argued. And she was a feisty little woman, really talked, and she was really Canadian. And she argued and argued, and by morning they, they let him go.

Sguigna’s eldest son served with the American Navy during World War II (having moved to the United States prior to the war), while his father was interned in Canada. His youngest son was a carpenter and worked to help support his mother during this time. Sguigna’s nephew, Ezio Vincenzo, also served with the Canadian army: he went through six months of training at Petawawa but was released from service due to his Italian birth. Anna Sguigna was a strong woman and, with the support of family members, she carried on during her husband’s detention: “Well, she had one other young son at home with her, and those were the times when you, you just made do. And she had other brothers and sisters, and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. And, uh, she was also a wonderful lady. She lived to 102, and all alone at home and taking care of her garden. So, she was a very strong personality”.

Sguigna was ordered released on December 8, 1942, and was freed a week later. His conditional discharge required him to report monthly to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He could not change his place of residence without reporting this information first. Other conditions of his release included the following: “That he will not journey from Toronto without first reporting the details and purpose of his proposed trip to the said Officer Commanding, and that if so required he will report at his destination or destinations to such police officer or officers as may be designated by the said Officer Commanding”.

Biography by Krystle Copeland

Do you know…
Where was Luigi Sguigna held before being transferred to Petawawa Internment Camp?
 
SOURCES:

• Interview with Marie Prospero. October 4, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 684, Internee File 6329, “Luigi Sguigna.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: Vol. 3569, File E.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6.

POW #: P986
ARRESTED: March 27, 1941
RELEASED: March 23, 1943
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: 1895
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Bootlegger

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Frank Sherbo arrived at Quebec City in the spring of 1914 aboard the S.S. Mount Royal. Though Sherbo was a shoemaker by trade he appears to have made his living from producing and selling illegal liquor. He was serving an 18 month prison term because of this and was sent to Petawawa immediately after his release from the Ontario Provincial Reformatory at Guelph, Ontario. In the mid 1920s, Sherbo was arrested in Windsor for the illegal possession of a firearm and sentenced to three months. 

Sherbo was married to Margaret Desson and the couple had a daughter named Lucy (b. 1920). The Sherbo residence was located at 1613 Lombard Ave. in Niagara Falls.

Sherbo’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Niagara Falls without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 655, Internee File 3772 “Frank Sherbo.”

POW #: P1000
ARRESTED:
RELEASED: September 25, 1942
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: August 18, 1889
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Released conditionally upon his first subscribing to the Undertaking set out in Regulation 24 of the Defence of Canada Regulations (DOCR), and further, that he subscribe to a special Undertaking (See below)

Vincenzo Sicari was born on August 18, 1889 in Santa Cata di Bianconovo, Italy.  He arrived in Quebec City, QC on September of 1921 and was naturalized on October 27, 1927.

At the time of his arrest, he lived on Cartier St. in Montreal, QC with his wife, Maria, and eight children.  Sicari was an alleged member of the Montreal fascio and the Centuria d’Onore, and a photo of him and fellow members proved to be enough evidence. Furthermore, he was also believed to be a member of the dopolavoro and the Italian War Veterans Association.  He gave money to the Italian Red Cross (during the Ethiopian War) and to Casa d’Italia.  The RCMP reference an Italian government report where it notes:

[Sicari] has always been an active and militant Fascist especially known for his extremely anti-British feelings.  He was always in good relations with all the authorities of the Fascio and he was considered as a person of great trust.  Even to-day [sic] he continues to make extensive Fascist and anti-British propaganda, this proving beyond a doubt his great faith in our ideology. 

Sicari was interned for about a year and a half until September 25, 1942.  Upon his release, Sicari was ordered to report monthly to the RCMP. Moreover, he was told that he could not change his address or leave Montreal without first reporting details to the RCMP. 

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 691, Internee File 8618 “Vincenzo Sicari.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3569, File E.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 2.
• Minister’s Orders, List V2, V3 & V5.

POW #:
ARRESTED: June 20, 1940
RELEASED: July 12, 1940
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S):
TOWN/CITY: Vancouver
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

Nicola Silverstone lived in Vancouver, BC. On June 20, 1940, he was arrested and detained at the Immigration Building in Vancouver until July 12, 1940.  Mario Masi, also of Vancouver, was arrested and released on the same dates; it is likely that Silverstone and Masi knew each other.  Nothing else is known about Silverstone.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Minister’s Orders List.

POW #: P837
ARRESTED: August 22, 1940
RELEASED: October 23, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Operated grocery store; bootlegger

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Antonio (Tony) Silvestro, also known as Tony Ross, was married to Angelina who had a daughter, Pasqualina, from a previous marriage. At the time of Silvestro’s internment he and his family lived at 197 Bay St. North in Hamilton. During World War I, Silvestro enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force but was discharged for being medically unfit after four months service. 

Silvestro ran a grocery store but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) considered him to be a small time racketeer involved in the illegal liquor trade. While interned, Angelina and Pasqualina ran the grocery store.

Silvestro’s internment occurred as a result of his illegal activities. He was a known associate of crime boss Rocco Perri. His brother Frank Silvestro was considered to be Perri’s second-in-command.

Silvestro’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the RCMP once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Hamilton without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

After his release, Silvestro lived at 218 Market Street in Hamilton.

He was involved in the events surrounding Perri’s mysterious disappearance in 1944. The circumstances of which led to a violent dispute years later with his brother Frank calling him a traitor. In retaliation, Tony killed Frank during a game of cards in October 1949. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk

Do you know:
The events surrounding the police investigation of Frank Silvestro’s murder and any criminal case or trial resulting in Tony Silvestro’s conviction or lack thereof?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 674, Internee File 5286 “Antonio Silvestro.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 4, Letter from illegible, RCMP, to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 17 Oct. 1941.
• Nicaso, Antonio. Rocco Perri: The Story of Canada’s Most Notorious Bootlegger. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd, 2004.

POW #: P796
ARRESTED:
RELEASED: April 25, 1941
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: October 25, 1899
DIED: 1949

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Bootlegger

Francesco Silvestro was born on October 25, 1899 in Reggio, Calabria, Italy. He arrived to Canada at some point and became naturalized on June 10, 1938 in Welland, ON.

Silvestro was a known bootlegger and he went by the alias, Frank Ross. He lived a lavish lifestyle with expensive cars and never worked a day job. He was first lieutenant to famous mobster, Rocco Perri. In August of 1930, Silvestro along with Perri, Dominic Antonio (Tony) Pugliese, and Tony Papalia were all suspected in the murder of Bessie Starkman ― Perri’s longtime partner ― although the case remains unsolved.

In February of 1939, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) discovered that Silvestri was running a $10, 000 operation for Perri manufacturing illegal liquor.  With little evidence to charge Perri, the police tried to charge Silvestri for conspiracy to evade the excise tax.  Silvestri went into hiding and the RCMP offered a $500 for information leading to his arrest.

When World War II broke out, Silvestro was arrested and sent to Petawawa Internment Camp on August 20, 1940 along with other mobsters (like Giovanni Durso and others already mentioned). His brother, Antonio Silvestro, was also interned. Silvestro was released on April 25, 1941 due to poor health.

In October of 1949, Silvestro was involved in an altercation with his brother; Frank Silvestro blamed his brother for the 1944 disappearance of Perri as he was the last person to meet with Perri. Antonio Silvestro, offended by his brother’s accusation murdered him in a violent rage.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Dubro, James and Robin Rowland. King of the Mob: Rocco Perri and the Women Who Ran His Rackets. Penguin Books, 1987.
• Hamilton Ontario List.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol. 3569, File E.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Parts 2 & 3
• Minister’s Orders List V2 & V3.

POW #: P473
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 03, 1942
NATURALIZED: 1924
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Labourer, National Harbour Board

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Francesco (Frank) Siriani came to Canada in 1900. He was married to Elmerinda and the couple lived at 6610 Papineau St. in Montreal.

Siriani’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

After Siriani’s release, the Custodian of Enemy Property billed him for a $7 administration fee. The following is Siriani’s response:

I do wish to know the reason why I have to pay this amount; I came back to my home on September 4th, I do not work, and I have no money. I have no revenue. I only have a one storey-house [sic] and I have several debts because my wife had to subsist. The taxes on my house have been in arrears for the last three years. I regret very much not to have a single penny. If you do not believe me, I want you to call at my house and you will see for yourself.  

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 649, Internee File 3556 “Francesco Siriani.”

POW #: P463
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 01, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations) and his subscribing to a special undertaking

Angelo Michele Soccio lived at 6835 Marquette St. in Montreal.

Soccio was interned for nearly two years. He was released from Petawawa after his objection to detention was heard by the Advisory Committee.

He was related to Vincenzo (Jimmy) Soccio and Giuseppe Soccio; they were probably brothers. These three men and Luigi Soccio – Vincenzo Soccio’s son – appear on the government list (dated spring of 1940) as “Important Members of the Fascio who are Naturalized and whose Internment is Recommended.” Government records do not indicate the criminal activities they may have participated in during the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 2685, Internee File 19917, “Angelo Michele Soccio.”

POW #: P464
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 01, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Separated
OCCUPATION: Shoemaker, V. Massoni Jr.

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Prior to being interned, Giuseppe Soccio lived at 6792 Marquette St. in Montreal. He and his wife Angela Maria Dadario had four children. At some point, Giuseppe and Angela Maria separated. She and their youngest son Joseph (b. 1936) moved in with a Mrs. Sauro, the wife of internee Pasquale Sauro, who lived at 3078 Contrecoeur St. It also appears as though internee Felice Sauro was involved with Angela Maria. The other three children were placed in the care of a convent. Angela Maria earned $3.81 a week in relief payments.

Soccio’s relationship to other internees Vincenzo Soccio and Michele Soccio is not clear, but it is thought that they were brothers. 

Soccio’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involved in fascist activities or organizations. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk

Do you know…
How were the Soccios related?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 661, Internee File 4375 “Giuseppe Soccio.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 656, Internee File 3858 “Felice Sauro.”

POW #: P478
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 01, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: September 16, 1901
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Splicer’s helper, Bell Telephone Company

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Luigi (Louis) Soccio was married to Marie Blanch and the couple had two children. The Soccios lived at 6835 Marquette St. in Montreal.

He was the son of Vincenzo (Jimmy) Soccio, a known criminal.

Soccio’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 654, Internee File 3737 “Luigi Soccio.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117-A-3, Vol.651, Internee File 3423 “Vincenzo Soccio.”

POW #: P472
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 01, 1942
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Cargo inspector (fruit), Dept of Agriculture, Port of Montreal; Gangster

Some of the Italian-Canadian internees seemed to have been interned for their criminal activities. In this group, one may include Vincenzo (Jimmy) Soccio. It is unclear from the government documents reviewed how much of his criminal activities were known or suspected during the late 1930s and early 1940s. At the time of his arrest, from published sources, he seems to have already established a relationship with the Cotroni crime family in Montreal.

Soccio’s relationship to other internees Giuseppe Soccio and Michele Soccio is not clear, but it is thought that they were brothers. The Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) file notes that he was the father of internee Luigi Soccio. All four appear on the government list dating to spring 1940 of “Important Members of the Fascio who are Naturalized and whose Internment is Recommended”. The CEP file also notes that Soccio is employed as a cargo inspector by the Montreal Port Authority.

Although the reasons for his release are not known, he did have conditions imposed:

1. That he will report twice a month to the Officer Commanding, [RCMP] at Montreal, Quebec;
2. That he will not engage in any pro-Nazi or pro-Axis activities or be present at or take part in, any such meetings, or in any way advocate the Nazi or Fascist cause;
3. That he will not belong to, or have any relationship with any secret society, band or gang, or any illegal organization; and
4. That he will not engage in subversive activity of any sort and will strictly observe all laws, orders and regulations, and will do nothing which will in any way interfere with the promotion of Canada’s war effort.

The third point’s reference to “secret society, band or gang” might suggest the police’s knowledge of his criminal involvement.

After the war, Soccio would rise to a position of top lieutenant in the Montreal mafia and be arrested for drug trafficking, illegal gambling, blackmail and other crimes. He co-owned Corso Pizzeria restaurant and nightclubs, which authorities claimed served as fronts for many of his criminal operations.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
How were the Soccios related?
Was Soccio born in Canada?
 
SOURCES:

• Auger, Michel and Peter Edwards. The encyclopedia of Canadian organized crime: from Captain Kidd to Mom Boucher. Marks & Spencer, 2004.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117-A-3, Vol.651, File 3423.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 5.

POW #: P331
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: May 20, 1942
NATURALIZED: October 30, 1925
BORN: January 01, 1895
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Windsor
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Labourer, City of Windsor

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Natale Soda was married to Leta Mauro and the couple had six children: Anthony (b. 1934), Rosa (b. 1932), Fred (b. 1933), James (b. 1934), Domenic (b. 1937) and Mary (b. 1939). The Sodas lived at 1074 Louis Ave. in Windsor.

While Soda was interned, Leta received $56.32 per month in relief. The amount was broken down as follows:

Food – $32.44
Cooking fuel – $1.80
Clothing – $3.64
Shelter – $14.95
Electricity – $1.04
Medical – $2.45

Soda’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Windsor without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces: RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 662, Internee File 4458 “Natale Soda.”

POW #: P282
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: April 03, 1941
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: March 13, 1886
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Labourer, Steel Company of Canada

RELEASE NOTES: Released unconditionally – had to report to RCMP immediately upon arrival at Hamilton

Nazzareno Spallaci was born on March 13, 1886 in Ancona, Italy. He arrived in Canada at some point and was naturalized on July 24, 1929.

In 1940 he lived on Castle Ave. in Hamilton. He was married with one adult son. He worked as a labourer for Steel Company of Canada for 34 years prior to his internment. Spallaci’s son also worked for the same company and while he wasn’t interned he was fired from his job.

He was released from Petawawa Internment Camp on April 3, 1941 at 7:25 a.m. 

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 655, File 3819.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, 3569, File E.
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V3.

POW #: P293
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: December 28, 1941
NATURALIZED: June 18, 1925
BORN: November 17, 1888
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Had to report monthly to RCMP

Hardly anything is known about Cosimo Spennato. He lived in Galt, ON. According to some government documents he also went by the name Albert Robinson.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk.

SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 5, Letter from Louis St. Laurent, Minister of Justice, to S.T. Wood, RCMP Commissioner, 20 Dec. 1941.

POW #: P258
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: October 30, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: 1912
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Court reporter, Department of the Fire Marshall, Provincial Parliament

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

Goffredo Sperapani lived with his mother Francesca at 198 Melita St. in Toronto. Little else is known about Goffredo Sperapani.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 684, Internee File 6310 “Goffredo Sperapani.”

POW #: P489
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: April 12, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN: 1895
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Owned and operated a garage

RELEASE NOTES: Unconditional release

Giuseppe Spinelli was married to Rosa Cradi and the couple had six children: Maria (b. 1919), Theresa (b. 1920), Loretta (b. 1921), John (b. 1925), Annette (b. 1930) and Amedeo (b. 1935). The Spinellis lived at 1919 St. Joseph St. in Lachine which is now part of Montreal. Rosa’s father Pietro Cradi also lived at this address.

The garage that Spinelli owned and operated was located at 187 St. Joseph St. While interned, the business was run by Rosa and possibly John. One of the daughters was the bookkeeper.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 663, Internee File 4607 “Giuseppe Spinelli.”

POW #: P865
ARRESTED:
RELEASED:
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S):
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Unknown
OCCUPATION:

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations)

No biography available for this internee.

SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, RG 24, Vol. 6586, File 5-1-1.

POW #: P633
ARRESTED: June 20, 1940
RELEASED: March 05, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Unemployed

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Michele Surace was married to Olga and the couple lived at 1115 Glenholme Ave. in Niagara Falls. Surace had previously worked as a salesperson for Dawes Ales but had been unemployed for some time prior to internment. Olga, who was born in Canada, applied to work at the Cropp’s Canning Factory while her husband was in Petawawa Internment Camp. Whether she was hired is unknown.

Surace’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month; he could not change his place of residence or leave Niagara Falls without the consent of the RCMP; and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 655, Internee File 3824 “Michele Surace.”