POW #: P639
ARRESTED: July 02, 1940
RELEASED: December 08, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: March 14, 1906
DIED:

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

Benjamin (Benny) Taglierino was born in Canada on March 14, 1906. In 1940, he lived with his wife, Ruth, on Simcoe St. West in Hamilton. He owned properties at 67 ½ Simcoe St. West, in Hamilton, and Plandome Survey, Lot #11, in Aldershot, both of which he rented out.

Taglerino was arrested on July 2, 1940, and detained at the Automotive Building on the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto, before being sent to Petawawa Internment Camp on July 19, 1940. He wasn’t released until two years later, on December 8, 1942.

His release notes stated: “Released conditionally upon his first subscribing to the Undertaking as set out in Regulation 24 of the Defence of Canada Regulations, and further that he subscribe to a special Undertaking” (RG 117, Vol. 2017, Internee File 5029, “Benjamin Taglerino”). He was also obliged to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) monthly, could not change his place of residence or travel without first reporting to RCMP, and had to secure steady employment. If he failed to meet these conditions, he would be “liable to re-internment or to prosecution, or to both, as the circumstances may warrant” (RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6).

After Taglerino’s release from camp, he and his wife separated.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga

Do you know…
Why did Taglerino’s release have graver stipulations than others? Was it because he was involved in criminal activities?

SOURCES:

• Hamilton Ontario List.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 2017, Internee File 5029 “Benjamin Taglerino.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol. 3569, File C.
• Minister’s Orders, List V1 & V6.

POW #: P289
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: December 15, 1942
NATURALIZED: Canadian born
BORN: March 22, 1910
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Self-employed paperhanger and painter

RELEASE NOTES: Released conditionally (see below)

There is little information known about Jeff Taglierino. 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.”  However, other government documents note that he is Canadian-born.

Two government records also indicate that he used the name Eugene Cappelire. It is unclear why he would use another Italian-sounding name, but there are separate documents under the name Eugene Cappelire in the Custodian of Enemy Property files and in records of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.1

Two other internees shared the last name Taglierino – Benjamin and John. A familial relationship is likely, although there is no direct supporting evidence. 

Taglierino was interned in Petawawa on June 18, 1940. He was among the Italian Canadians transferred to Camp Fredericton. The reasons for his release are not available. The conditions of Taglierino’s release (noted under the name Cappelire) state that he had to report monthly to the RCMP, and that he could not change his address nor leave Hamilton without first notifying the RCMP. Another condition stipulated that he “immediately secure and retain for the duration of the war steady employment which must be regular and apparent to the casual observer, and shall not be one of looking after his own or somebody elses [sic] houses.”

Biographical information is lacking.

1. This case represents some of the challenges in confirming an exact list of Italian Canadians interned. Given that the place of residence and release dates are the same for the files under the two names, and that two government documents indicate that they are the same person, we have treated it as such.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know:
Was Taglierino in school or working at the time of his arrest?
What was the nature of his relationship to John and Benjamin Taglierino, if any?
What happened to Taglierino after the war?
Why was Taglierino (identified as Eugenio Cappelire) forbidden to look after his house or the homes of others?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property, RG 117, Vol. 654, Internee File 3710, “Eugenio Cappelire.”
• 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, Dec. 4, 1942; RG 18 Vol. 3569 File C; RG18 Vol. 3563, File C-11-19-2-3 Part 4.

POW #: P640
ARRESTED: July 02, 1940
RELEASED: September 03, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Racketeer; Extortionist; Labourer

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon undertaking Regulation 24 (Defence of Canada Regulations) and agreeing to a Special Undertaking, and reporting twice a month to authorities

Some of the Italian-Canadian internees seem to have been interned for their criminal activities. In this group, one would include John Taglierino (alias John S. Taylor). He was affiliated with Rocco Perri (also interned), “Canada’s King of the Bootleggers” and one of the most prominent mob bosses in Canadian history.

Taglierino was born in the United States to Italian parents, but had lived in Hamilton for most of his life. As early as 1909, he was convicted on charges of extortion. At that time, he was already considered one of the leaders of the Black Hand in Hamilton – the Black Hand refers to an extortion racket practised by early gangs of Italian immigrants.

In the 1920s, Taglierino partnered with Rocco Perri, and opened a gambling house – which featured slot machines, craps and roulette. They also owned a betting shop on York Street in Hamilton. The author Nicaso notes that when Perri’s common-in-law wife Bessie Starkman was murdered on August 13, 1930, Perri contacted Taglierino – the purpose of which is not indicated. It would nevertheless suggest a very close relationship.

As Rocco Perri’s influence and control over his territory waned in the late 1930s, his associates also became targets. Taglierino’s home was bombed in March 1938. No one seemed to have been harmed in the attempt. 

At the time of his arrest in 1940, Taglierino was married with two young children. He owned several parcels of land and eight houses. He was transferred to Toronto, held on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, on July 8, 1940. He was later moved to Petawawa Internment Camp and was among the Italian Canadians transferred to Fredericton Internment Camp in July 1942. While interned, he legally changed his last name from Taglierino to Taylor.

Among the conditions of his release, Taglierino could not change his place of residence or leave Hamilton without the consent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He was also not allowed to be involved in fascist activities or organizations.

Two other younger internees shared the last name Taglierino – Benjamin and Jeff. A familial relationship is likely, although there is no direct supporting evidence.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Taglierino after the war? Did he return to his gambling racket?
What was the nature of his relationship to Jeff and Benjamin Taglierino, if any?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG 117, Vol 2018, 5056.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 6.
• Nicaso, Antonio. Rocco Perri: The Story of Canada’s Most Notorious Bootlegger. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd, 2004.

POW #: P263
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: October 30, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: September 16, 1897
DIED: July 31, 1970

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Owner, Standard Tile and Terrazzo Co.

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

Alessandro (Alex) Tambosso arrived in Canada in 1921 and found work as a tile setter. He had served in the Italian army in World War I, for which he had been awarded 4 medals. In 1927, Tambosso sponsored his wife and family. In 1929, he started his own company, Standard Tile and Terrazzo Co.

At the time of his arrest, he had 6 children. His name does appear on the government list dating to spring 1940 of “Important members of the fascio who are naturalized and whose internment is recommended”. The nature and extent of any such involvement is not known.

The Custodian of Enemy Property maintained a file on Tambosso, which noted that Price Waterhouse & Co. had been made comptrollers of his business. His eldest son Alex took over the day-to-day management of the company while Tambosso was in Camp Petawawa.

His son Bruno Tambosso recalls:

When my brother Ernie, three sisters, Beatrice, Teresa, Doreen, and I came home from school there were two RCMP plainclothes officers sitting in the living room waiting for my father to come home. My mother kept us in the kitchen until they left with my father. While he was at Petawawa, my brother Alex Jr. had to take care of business. Many of the people my Father did work for refused to do business with Standard Tile and Terrazzo Co. Some that did took advantage of Alex Jr. who was 18 years old. A few did assist him and treated him fairly.

The reasons for Tambosso’s release are not available.

After his release, Tambosso remained an active member of the Italian Canadian community in Toronto. He served as the president of the Famee Furlane from 1947 to 1949. He was also a member of the Italian Recreation Club on Brandon Ave. He had a minor stroke in 1952; he died on July 31, 1970.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What was the nature of Tambosso’s activities with the fascio, if any?
 
SOURCES:

• Bruno Tambosso, son of Alex Tambosso. Correspondence with project staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, April 2012.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol 653, File 3655.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol 3563, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG24, Vol 6586, File 5-1-1.

POW #: P582
ARRESTED:
RELEASED: March 30, 1941
NATURALIZED:
BORN:
DIED:

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

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

Not much is known about Michele Tamiglia. At the time of his arrest, he was married to Clementine Principe. The couple had five children: Frank was 15, Esther 14, Mary 12, Tabitha 10 and Anita 7. The family owned their home and attended the Church of the Redeemer.

Tamiglia seems to have been involved with the Italian community in Montreal. He belonged to the Italian War Veterans’ Association, presumably having served in the Italian military during World War I.

Interned on July 2, 1940, the charges against him were that he associated with the Fascist Party, the dopolavoro and the Italian War Veterans’ Association; he donated gold to Italy; he subscribed to fascist undertakings; and he was anti-British (J.D. Hyndman to W.R. Jackett, Feb. 10, 1941).

Tamiglia objected to his internment. In his hearing before Justice J.D. Hyndman, he denied being disloyal to Canada. He denied membership in the organizations noted, with the exception of the Italian War Veterans’ Association, which he had joined 12 years prior. He admitted visiting the Casa d’Italia but only to attend meetings of the Italian War Veterans’ Association and because he had a card which enabled him to buy beer there. All of his children attended Protestant school. They did not attend Italian classes.

Tamiglia believed his arrest and internment was caused by an informant: “…he does not know who accused him but he suspects Bersani as quite a number of members of this church were interned” (J.D. Hyndman, Feb. 10, 1941).

Justice Hyndman requested that supporting evidence be produced by the police “as the man has now been interned for about eight months, a decision should be made without further delay” (J.D. Hyndman, Feb. 10, 1941). On March 18, 1941, Justice Hyndman recommended release as no witnesses or evidence were produced to support the charges.

During his absence, his family suffered financial hardship and received government relief.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What work did Tamiglia do to support his family?
What happened to Tamiglia after the war?

SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 656, Internee File 3850, “Michele Tamiglia.”
• Library and Archives Canada, J.D. Hyndman Fonds: MG 30, E 182, Vol. 14, J.D. Hyndman to W.R. Jackett, Re: Michele Tamilia [sic] – 40-275, February 10, 1941, and March 18, 1941.

POW #: P291
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: November 09, 1940
NATURALIZED: Canadian born
BORN: March 24, 1905
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Manager, Royal City Winery

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

Abel Tantardini was married to Vera and the couple had five children who, in 1940, ranged in age from seven to sixteen. Prior to Tantardini’s internment, the family lived at 28 Wilson St. in Guelph. 

Tantardini managed a winery and retail store (Royal City Winery) that was owned by his father John. The business was located at 32 Wilson St. This property also housed a grocery store and steamship agency. 

Tantardini’s father was possibly an associate of crime boss Rocco Perri. He was named as a creditor of Bessie Starkman (Perri’s common-in-law wife) in her will. It is unclear if this relationship had anything to do with Abel Tantardini’s internment.

However, Tantardini’s release was noted in a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation into Dr. Vincenzo Agro and Arnaldo Iacone of Hamilton. Agro had insinuated that he could obtain the release of internees for a fee and that he had played a role in the early release of Antonio Olivieri. Many complaints were received by the RCMP, who began an investigation in which they noted that Tantadini’s father was in negotiations involving Dr. Agro and Antonio Iacone for Abel Tantardini’s release. It is not known if Agro’s involvement had anything to do with Tantardini’s or Olivieri’s release.

Following Tantardini’s release from the Petawawa Internment Camp, he and his family lived at 34½ Wilson St.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk and Lucy Di Pietro
 
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. 666, Internee File 4783 “Abel Tantardini.”
• Nicaso, Antonio. Rocco Perri: The Story of Canada’s Most Notorious Bootlegger. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd, 2004.

POW #: P786
ARRESTED:
RELEASED: October 09, 1941
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: 1901
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Machine sander, Radio Corporation of America

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

Giuseppe (Joseph) Tassoni was born in 1901 in Italy. At the age of 22, he moved to Canada and became naturalized in 1938.  Two years later, Tassoni was interned on August 9, 1940. 

At the time of his arrest, he was single and lived with his parents on Chabot St. in Montreal, QC.  He worked as a machine sander for the Radio Corporation of America, making $20/week.  He admitted to being a member of the dopolavoro and the Italian Liberal Club.

When interviewed by JD Hyndman, Tassoni stated that he did not belong to the fascio and that it was his brother who wore a black shirt.  It is unknown why his brother was never interned, even after Tassoni’s statement. Tassoni believed an individual named Mariano may have been responsible for his internment. 

Tassoni was released on October 9, 1941 at 12:28 a.m.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
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. 700, Internee File 15371 “Giuseppe (Joseph) Tassoni.”
• Library and Archives Canada, JD Hyndman Fonds: MG30: E182, Vol. 14.
• Minister’s Orders, List V1 & V4.

POW #: P1043
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 02, 1943
NATURALIZED:
BORN: April 10, 1907
DIED: April 16, 1980

CAMP(S): Kananaskis, Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Trail
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Merchant; employee, Cominco; insurance agent, New York Life Insurance Company

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon subscribing to a Special Undertaking, and monthly reporting to the authorities

Fioravante (Fred) Tenisci arrived in Canada in 1928. From Halifax, he took a cross-country train and settled in Fernie, BC, where his father was already established, along with an aunt and uncle and their family. He worked in the coalmines for two years, at which point Tenisci’s father decided to return to Italy. A few months after his father’s departure, Tenisci moved to Trail, BC.

He joined the Trail Maple Leaf Band and became an accomplished musician. He played the clarinet and the accordion, and could also sing. He was a devout Catholic, assisting with the altar service at St. Anthony of Padua Church, and serving as a choir member.

His Catholic faith extended into the business realm, as he owned and operated a small store specializing in the sale of religious items. He also worked at the natural gas plant for Cominco.

Tenisci was an active member of the Italian Canadian community in Trail as well as in Vancouver. He was active in the Societa M.S. Cristoforo Colombo, The Colombo Lodge founded in 1905. He served on a few occasions as the president of this Trail-based group.

He was also a passionate fascist supporter. He had met with Dr. Giuseppe Brancucci, the Italian Vice-Consul from Vancouver during the latter’s visit to Trail. He submitted articles featuring life in Trail for a column published in the Italian-language newspaper, L’Eco italo-canadese, known for its pro-fascist content. The editors and owners Bruno Girardi (1936-1938) and Alberto Boccini (1938-1940) were also interned.

Tenisci gave a speech for the 1939 commemoration of the March on Rome held in Vancouver. In attendance was the crew of the Italian ship Cellina anchored in the port, and other dignitaries and leaders from the Italian Canadian community. Tensici proudly proclaimed to the audience that on October 28, 1922, “the valorous Blackshirts, led by our infallible Duce, initiated the battle for the redemption of the world!” (In The Darkest Side of the Fascist Years: The Italian-Canadian Press: 1920-1942. Toronto: Guernica, 1999.) He noted that Mussolini had destroyed the “coalition of Jews, Masons and communists” and described the Italian dictator as the “founder of the Empire and an apostle of Christianity”. He asked the crowd to remember the many who had died for the Great Fascist Revolution.

Tenisci told his son Leonard that while in Italy he “had been in the Mussolini Youth Party, the Fascist Youth Party as a kid. It’s like boy scouts, you know, you join boy scouts, they join the Fascist Youth. And that was the sanitized version that we got.” However, he did express to his family the great disappointment he felt in Mussolini’s decision to support Hitler and Nazi Germany. He saw it as a betrayal of Italy and “felt a bit red-faced about it all.”

On June 10, 1940 Tenisci was arrested. Pre-warned, he managed to contact Father S. Balo of St. Anthony’s (himself briefly detained). Father Balo took possession of the valuable items in Tenisci’s store to safeguard them from any creditors. 

Tenisci is one of only five men who were interned at all three camps. As a musician, he played the accordion in the camp band and organized a choir. He objected to his internment, and did have a review of his case on at least one occasion. His release was denied on January 15, 1942. According to his son, he was told that he would only be released if he agreed to serve in the Canadian military. He agreed on one condition, that he not be sent to Italy to fight against his relatives and friends. This condition was denied, so Tenisci asked to be returned to camp.1

Tenisci was ordered released on February 1, 1943. Among the conditions of his release, he was not permitted to change his place of residence without first reporting to the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and:

That he obey all laws and regulations, and do everything reasonably possible to assist in Canada’s war effort, and that he do or say nothing that might in any way detract from the war effort of Canada or its Allies, or that might in any way assist or encourage any enemy of Canada or its Allies;

That he have nothing to do with Fascism or any Fascist or other forbidden club or organization;

That he sign an undertaking to abide by all of the above conditions.

I further direct that Tenisci be advised that nothing in these conditions, nor his release from internment, releases him from any obligation to military service to which he may be subject and the he be given a copy of these conditions.

After his release, Tenisci returned to Trail and in June 1945 married Canadian-born Emilia (Emily) Barazzuol, 15 years his junior. Emily’s sister had married Fred Ghislieri of Vancouver, who had also been interned.

The couple had 10 children. Tenisci supported his large family working as a supervisor for Cominco’s natural gas plant. He also later operated a travel agency in “The Gulch”, Trail’s Little Italy, which serviced the local community, and acted as the consular agent of the Italian government for that area. Although he was able to put his internment experience behind him, and his family thrived, his son Leonard notes:

But I think there was some residual resentment towards him that lasted for several years … somewhere in the early ‘60s he was nominated by the Trail Citizen of the Year Committee … Well, there’s one guy that took it upon himself to dig up some dirt on him. He was a rival travel agent. Now my father was a travel agent pretty well to the Italian community. And I guess this guy probably maybe wanted his business, you know, wanted to take over his clientele or something like that … he bent over backwards to go to city council. To go to this heritage counsel who do this nomination to tell them this guy’s not to be—this Tenisci, Fred Tenisci, is not to be trusted.

As a result, Tenisci did not receive the honour.

His son notes that Tenisci was never bitter about his experience, believing he was well-treated in the camps. He felt that the Canadian government acted in the manner they thought best at the time. He did maintain some contacts with his former internees. His son notes that during a camping trip to California in 1963, they visited Giuseppe Grimaldi.

Tenisci died in 1980.

1. A similar situation regarding military service as a release condition is described by internee Osvaldo Giacomelli.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro
 
SOURCES:

• Interview with Leonard Tenisci. May 10, 2011. ICEA2011.0015.0001. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG117, Vol 651, File 3439.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol 3569, File C.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 5, Louis St Laurent, Minister of Justice, to ST Wood, RCMP Commissioner, 1 Feb 1943.
• Principe, Angelo. The Darkest Side of the Fascist Years: The Italian-Canadian Press: 1920-1942. Toronto: Guernica, 1999.

POW #: P283
ARRESTED: June 11, 1940
RELEASED: December 14, 1940
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: September 04, 1897
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Labourer, Hamilton Cotton Factory

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release

Nicola Termini was born on September 4, 1897 in Racalmuto, Italy. He lived on McNab St. North in Hamilton at the time of his arrest. He was married to Rosalie and they had four children: Mary (8), Madeline (5), Dominic (3), and John (2 months). Termini worked at the Hamilton Cotton Factory as a labourer in the Spinning Room and earned $22/week.

Termini was interned at Camp Petawawa for about six months. The family was receiving relief (welfare) from January 1937 to February 1940 and when Termini was interned the family was approved to receive relief again. After his release, Termini moved to Locke St. South.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Hamilton Ontario List V1 & V2.
• 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. 648, Internee File 3236, “Nicola Termini.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 3569, Envelope F.
• Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): RG18, Vol. 3569, File C.

POW #: P573
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: August 02, 1941
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 monthly reporting

There is very little information known about Camillo Testa. His name appears on a government list dating to spring 1940 of “Members of the fascio of Canadian Nationality whose Examination should be ordered under Regulation 21 of the Defence of Canada Regulations”. The nature of his involvement with the fascio or related activities is not clear. He was interned at Camp Petawawa on July 2, 1940. The reasons for his release are not available. Biographical information is also lacking. However, the Custodian of Enemy Property maintained a file on this individual.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
Where was Testa born?
What work did he do in 1940?
What happened to Testa after the war?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol 2241, 12877.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, Vol 3563 C11-19-2-3-pt 4.

POW #: P191
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 25, 1943
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: July 01, 1904
DIED: September 26, 1980

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Ottawa
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Meter reader, Ottawa Light Heat & Power Company Ltd.

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release upon agreeing to a Special Undertaking and monthly reporting

Gino Pio Antonio Tiezzi grew up in Tuscany, Italy. His mother worked as a governess in the home of an Italian noble family – a marchese. Tiezzi immigrated to Canada in 1923 with his mother and the marchese, who hoped to become a gentleman farmer. Unfortunately they arrived in Quebec in the middle of winter; farm life was unpleasant and not profitable. The nobleman and his family decided to move to Montreal. Tiezzi and his mother also moved to the city, where he worked as a waiter to support them. They then decided to move to Hull, Quebec.

Due to Hull’s close proximity to Ottawa, Tiezzi attended St. Anthony of Padua Church. He was the first president of the Catholic Action at St. Anthony’s and soon became an active member of the Italian community in Ottawa. During a procession held on St Anthony’s Day on June 13, 1928, he met his future wife Rosa Di Nardo during a commotion in which she broke the heel of her shoe. Married three months later, the wedding was attended by some six hundred people. The couple had two sons, Silvio and Italo.

Among Tiezzi’s first jobs in Ottawa was his position as an Italian teacher at Academie Dante. He would find better paying work as a meter reader for the Ottawa Electric Company, for which he earned $75/month.

Very proud of his heritage, Tiezzi required that Italian be spoken in the family home. He loved opera and wrote articles on performances at the Capitol Theatre. He was also active in the Order Sons of Italy. In Ottawa, the organization pursued a close connection to St. Anthony’s Church. They became known as St. Anthony’s Sons of Italy Society and their constitution included the motto Non erubesco Evangelium – We are not ashamed of the Gospel.

According to the records of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Tiezzi was the Secretary and Vice President of the local fascio known as Duca d’Aosta. Its members included Frederick Pantalone, Giuseppe Costantini, Dr. Vittorio Sabetta, and Vincenzo Sorrenti (“The Organization and Activities of the Italian Fascist Party in Canada,” Ottawa, 1937, p12.  RG146, Vol 97, File AH-1999/00227, LAC). All but Sorrenti would be arrested and interned. Tiezzi was also described by Rev. Libero Sauro, (also interned) as a fascist supporter. Sauro notes:

Among those released are some who semed [sic] to be very active fascists. These have no doubt satisfied the Authorities that they were loyal Canadian citizens and would in no way hinder the defence of Canada. I have in mind Gino Tiezzi of Otawa [sic] who has been released. I kow [sic] him personally, he is a fine fellow, but I believe he was an ardent fascist. In Ottawa, he was in charge of the fascist youth organization, instructing Canadian children of Italian deceent [sic] to fascist ideas. (Libero Sauro, letter to M.J. Coldwell, Ottawa, March 19, 1941, ICEA 2010.0008.0050, Columbus Centre Collection)

According to his son Italo Tiezzi, his father was introduced to fascism while still in Italy. He did admire Mussolini and worked with the Italian Consulate in Ottawa in a volunteer capacity. He helped organize events, banquets and plays. He was very active in the formation of music bands. He managed the basketball team and softball team. He organized and supervised two student summer trips to Italy with Ottawa’s Organizzazioni Giovanili degli Italiani all’Estero (OGIE – Italian Youth Organizations Abroad); most of the costs of these trips were sponsored by the Italian government. 

However, Italo denies that his father was in any way a threat to the Canadian state. A loyal citizen (naturalized British subject), Tiezzi was very disappointed with Mussolini’s declaration of war in support of Germany and Hitler. Italo also rejects the suggestion that his father was a member of the Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism (OVRA).1

On June 10, 1940, at 7 years old, Italo was returning home from school with his friend Tom. The boys were on the way to the shed to play with a train set. Italo’s mother stopped them and sent Tom home. Italo then saw two plainclothes police officers in the house searching for material. Italo recalls that the officers behaved professionally and respectfully. They allowed Tiezzi to have a snack of eggs mixed with sugar and coffee prepared by his wife, and agreed to wait until the return of Tiezzi’s mother and stepfather, before they removed him from the home. Despite this, Italo remembers being deeply upset, afraid and in tears.

Tiezzi was interned at Camp Petawawa on June 12, 1940. His case was reviewed by Justice J.D. Hyndman, along with Frederick Pantalone (family friend) and Giuseppe Constantini. He writes: “I have given the case of these men a great deal of consideration, and am convinced that their association with Italian organizations, such as the Sons of Italy, had no evil motive and, if anything, they were more or less dupes of crafty agents of the genuine Fascist groups” (JD Hyndman to Minister of Justice, December 18, 1940, JD Hyndman fonds, MG30, E 182, Vol 14, LAC). Hyndman recommended a conditional release for all three. In response, it appears that the RCMP provided additional information to justify continued internment. Writing on February 13, 1941, Hyndman states:

My considered opinion is, that, at the most, this man was foolish and, perhaps, indiscreet due to intense vanity and love of notoriety; but having seen and heard him, and after considering the evidence of witnesses who testified in his favour, and further considering the fact that he has been resident in Ottawa for nearly seventeen years, his wife being a British subject, born in Ottawa, I am entirely satisfied that his release would not in any way be a danger to the State … the regulations with regard to internment were never intended to be used as punitive measures, but merely for the purpose of preventing disloyal persons from committing sabotage or acts of a subversive character. This is the real issue in this, as in all other cases, and each case must be judged on its own merits, taking into account all the surrounding circumstances. In this instance it is impossible for me to believe that this man would be guilty of anything of this nature. (Letter from JD Hyndman to Minister of Justice, In the Matter of the Defence of Canada Regulations and in the Matter of Gino Tiezzi, February 13, 1941)

Tiezzi would be released two weeks later on February 27, 1941 at 12:28 AM. However, he was one of only five internees (Antonio Mascioli, Vincenzo Poggi, Domenico Scalera, Umberto Zerillo) released from Camp Petawawa, only to be re-interned at a later date. Re-arrested on August 21, 1941, he was held at the Carleton County Gaol, in Ottawa. During this time there must have been a review of his re-internment, with his release denied and his detention ordered continued on November 5, 1941. At his own request, he was returned to Petawawa Internment Camp on November 10, 1941. Tiezzi was among the few Italian Canadians internees transferred to Fredericton Internment Camp. It is unclear what evidence supported his re-arrest and his continuing internment. He had legal representation throughout, for which the family was left with a massive $2000 bill.

In camp, Tiezzi was spared any hard labour due to a medical condition; he had only one kidney. He was the leader of his barracks (#53). In Fredericton Internment Camp, life at first was difficult. Apparently, the men were housed in tents until the barracks were built.

During his internment, Tiezzi’s family struggled to make ends meet. Rosa Tiezzi, a housewife, had to work and found a position at Mayfair Pie Bakery for $8.00/week. As Italo Tiezzi recalls:

There were some workers from Toronto that were coming here to do jobs; they were night workers. So they worked during the night and they needed to sleep during the day…our room, my brother and I had a room together, what my mother and grandmother did, they changed the sheets, let them sleep during the day. We had to keep quiet and everything, and they paid money and board, ‘cause they ate there too. And they made some money that way.

Rosa Tiezzi would later find good work in the civil service. She also lobbied for her husband’s release, speaking to judges, politicians and government bureaucrats. According to Italo, his father’s arrest and continuing internment was influenced in part by the work of a community informant:

This agent they had, not a nice man at all … was trying in different ways to get my mother to implicate other people, especially the Apostolic Delegate… And she said definitely not. Two reasons, one that means my father was guilty of something, and two—to implicate a person without…that’s sinful. She said, “He can stay the rest of his life in the camp. I would never do that” … So he was an agent that was not very nice. And she asked about him to one of the judges and said, “Why do you use a man like that?” And he said, “We use a dirty broom to clean the stable,” or something like that, some silly thing like that.

The family was able to visit Tiezzi in Camp Petawawa. His eldest son Silvio, who was 11 years old at the time of his father’s arrest, travelled with his mother and grandmother to see his father. He was holding a birthday cake they had prepared for Tiezzi: “I remember my brother telling us, ‘cause it was, from him a dramatic moment. And he was so proud to bring the cake to his father and the guard took it from Silvio and threw it on the floor and, Silvio was very upset and shouted out, “That’s my father’s cake!” Italo remembers his own visit to the camp and his mother asking the guard for permission to kiss his father: “And they’re not supposed to, you see, not supposed to touch. And he turned around and let them.”

On Tiezzi’s return home, he was refused his previous position. Instead, he took a number of menial jobs. The Tiezzis then bought a small store using money Rose Tiezzi had saved up. Tiezzi Provision Store and Post Office, purchased in 1945, soon served as a social service centre for post war immigrants:

And the post office was essential to immigrants because they were communicating with their families, bringing them over, all this or everything. And of course our store became… like a social agencies. And they would come for interpreting. I would have to interpret in court for some people…dad became very involved in that. He started the citizenship club; he was responsible for making 2000 Italians, Canadian citizens. He worked with Judge Tardiff, who was the immigration judge then.

The family suffered a horrific tragedy with the loss of the eldest son Silvio in a car-train accident in 1950. A gifted student, Silvio had won scholarships to pay for his high school education during his father’s internment. He was due to graduate with his Bachelor of Arts that year. Reflecting on his father’s internment and his brother’s passing, Italo very much regrets the three years in Silvio’s young life that he was forcibly separated from his father.

Despite these hardships, the family succeeded. In addition to his store and related work, Tiezzi resumed his active participation in community events and organizations. He was a founding member of the Canadian Italian Business Professional Association (CIBPA), Ottawa Chapter in 1961. He founded the Italian Canadian Senior Citizens Club in 1974. For this community work, Tiezzi received the Queen Elizabeth Medal in 1977.

Italo also notes with some irony, that during his father’s retirement, he served in the House of Commons as an assistant messenger for MPs. He also continued to be an active supporter and organizer for the Liberal Party.

Tiezzi did speak with his family about his experience and seemed to understand the government’s rationale in interning him given his work in the community at the time. However, “he did tell some sad stories of, uh, a blind man being there, another one, who urinated blood and they—he felt they shouldn’t have been there. He thought a lot of people that were in there shouldn’t have been there. They were not organizers or political.”

1 There is no clear evidence that any of the internees were OVRA members.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro
 
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.
• Interview with Italo Tiezzi. July 6, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG 117, Vol 651, File 3427.
• Library and Archives Canada, JD Hyndman fonds: MG30, E 182, Vol 14, LAC  Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol 3569 File C.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 4.

POW #: P693
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 12, 1941
NATURALIZED: January 15, 1930
BORN:
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Other Ontario
MARITAL STATUS: Widowed
OCCUPATION: Contractor, Canadian National Railway

RELEASE NOTES: Unconditional release

Giovanni Tintinaglia, also known as John Tintinali, arrived in Canada in 1905. Prior to his internment, he lived at 34 King Street in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Tintinaglia was a widower and he had an unknown number of children. He had a contract with the Canadian National Railway (CNR) to deliver coal and wood from train cars at locations in northwestern Ontario and at one location in Manitoba. His contract was severed by the CNR due to his being interned.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 673, Internee File 5179 “Giovanni Tintinaglia.”

POW #: P746
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: January 29, 1942
NATURALIZED: December 19, 1930
BORN:
DIED:

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

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

Not much is known about Luigi (Louis) Tognarelli. At the time of his arrest, he was a citizen (a naturalized British subject). He was married to Marguente (Margot) Jarry, a French Canadian, and the couple had three children. His name appears on the spring 1940 government list of “members of the fascio of Canadian nationality whose examination should be ordered under Regulation 21 of the Defence of Canada Regulations.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) noted that Tognarelli was either an active member of the fascio or a strong sympathizer of fascism.

The Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) maintained a file on this individual. His family faced financial hardship during his internment. They were supported in part by his mother-in-law and received some government relief. The landlord tried to evict the family. Around the same time, the son was severely burned in a workplace incident. In the first case, the CEP agents noted that the family should leave their home and find a place they could afford. In the second case, they asked for an explanation as to why the family would not accept the settlement offered by the insurers. 

He objected to the CEP administration charge of $72.50 after his release. He worked for St. Adolphe d’Howard Church in Comte d’Argenteuil and the parish priest, Abbé A. Lebeau, interceded on his behalf. The priest stated that Tognarelli barely provided enough for his family, as he decorated statues for the church and was paid a very small salary: “He came out of the camp all worn out and his wife, who is French-Canadian, was also very poor and tired” (Letter to the Department of the Secretary of State, August 16, 1943).

The reasons for Tognarelli’s release are not known. Other biographical information is lacking.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro
 

Do you know…
What work did Tognarelli do in Montreal before the war?
What was the nature of Tognarelli’s fascist involvement?
What happened to Tognarelli 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, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 1.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 653, Internee File 3608, “Luigi (Louis) Tognarelli.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.

POW #: P221
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: March 27, 1941
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: December 03, 1890
DIED: August 03, 1954

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Toronto
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Business man & Owner, Select Linen Supply Co.

RELEASE NOTES: Released on the condition that he report monthly to local authorities

Giuseppe Tomasicchio was born in Bari, Italy on December 3, 1890. He was an educated man and came from a well-to-do family that owned a scale-making factory in Bari. He also spent some time in the Italian Army. On December 3, 1910, Tomasicchio married Maria Rosa Maiorana, who lived in the neighbouring town, Palese. Unlike the typical immigrant who went to North America in search of a better life, Tomasicchio left Italy in search of adventure and to prove to his father that he could make it on his own. In 1912, Tomasicchio, his pregnant wife, and his brother-in-law, Nicola (Nick) Maiorana, left Naples aboard The America and headed for New York.   

When the trio departed Ellis Island for downtown Manhattan, they quickly realized that life in America was not as they had hoped it to be. They arrived that first day in Manhattan looking for a hotel only to see signs stating, “No Italians.” During that first year, the trio lived on Mulberry St. in Lower Manhattan’s section of Little Italy. They faced discrimination and poverty, and struggled to find jobs. The Tomasicchios gave birth to their son, Vito; tragically, three months later, the baby died due to lack of nutrition. In despair, the young couple left New York after only a year, and joined Maria’s mother and stepfather in Toronto, Canada. Maiorana went to Argentina to try his luck there.

In Toronto, the Tomasicchios lived on 98 Gerrard St. W. in Little Italy, also known as “The Ward” at that time. Shortly after their arrival in 1913, they welcomed their second child, who they also named Vito. In 1917, Joseph (Joe) was born. Maria worked for Eaton’s making men’s suits, while Tomasicchio became a milk man for City Dairy, located on Spadina Ave. Tomasicchio was promoted to a sales manager after his hard efforts – namely, increasing sales by selling milk to Italian grocery stores. According to their daughter, Tomasicchio and his wife became naturalized in 1925 (although government records show that Tomasicchio was naturalized earlier ― on April 8, 1914). 

In 1930, the Tomasicchios moved to 21 Division St. in Toronto. In 1932, they gave birth to a daughter who they named Grace. In 1937, City Dairy was bought out by Borden Company and Tomasicchio lost his job. It was at this time that the Tomasicchios, with the help of their eldest son, began a linen supply business located on Spadina Crescent called Select Linen Supply Co. The Tomasicchios supplied many restaurants and hospitals in Toronto.

On June 10, 1940, two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers arrived at the family business to arrest Tomasicchio. By this time, Tomasicchio was 50 years old, and his two sons Vito and Joe were 27 and 23 respectively. His daughter, Grace, who was seven at the time, notes that when her father asked why he was being arrested, one Mountie retorted, “Ask Mussolini!” Tomasicchio was handcuffed and taken to his home, where the RCMP officers searched the premises. His daughter recalls the event:

I never saw hatred coming out of people like these two guys. They had ripped the place apart. They took the pillows apart, cut the pillows with their knives, and all of the feathers were all over the place. It’s like they went on a rampage!

After his arrest, Tomasicchio was taken to the holding grounds at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), where he joined others. Grace recalls that he was there for about three months and that they were was able to visit him on Sundays; their only communication was brief and through a wire fence. Tomasicchio was then taken to Camp Petawawa.

Upon government investigation, it was discovered that Tomasicchio and his wife were both members of the dopolavoro and other similar social clubs. They were also attached to charitable organizations, both in Canada and Italy, where they helped raised funds for a statue-building initiative in Italy.  Tomasicchio was even knighted by the Italian King, Vittorio Emanuele III, due to his considerable charitable work.  According to Grace, however, her parents were not fascist but did participate in Italian social clubs, such as the Caboto Committee. Grace also recalls her father’s contribution to the Bolletino Italo-Canadese weekly and his assistance in providing free translations for new immigrants.

During Tomasicchio’s internment, the family business suffered, even losing support from their Italian patrons. Maria did her best to take care of home, including protecting her young daughter, who faced discrimination. Grace recalls an embarrassing incident when a teacher sent her home accusing her of having lice; this led her mom to become furious and pay a visit to the teacher.

As with other internees, Tomasicchio had a hearing before a judge to contest his internment. Maria hired a lawyer, David Goodman, to represent her husband during this. Grace recalls the day when she was called to testify:

So the day came that I was going to testify and man, I was so scared. I mean, it was horrible. And [the lawyer] Dave Goodman picked me up and put me on the table, because I was so little I couldn’t even sit in the chair… The crown attorney comes over to me and he said, “What’s your name?” And then he said, “Who do you want to win the war? Italy or England?” I had no idea what he was talking about. So, I reasoned, Okay, my father used to say all the time to my mother, if she tried to make something different other than pasta on Sunday and Thursday, he would say to her, “I ate pasta in Italy on Sunday and Thursday and I want pasta here in Canada on Sunday and Thursday.” So I reasoned that it must be bad to eat pasta. And I said to myself, Well, I knew Italians ate pasta because my friends didn’t eat that so they weren’t Italian. So I figured, Okay, that must be bad and maybe that’s why they arrested him. Because he ate pasta! So I said in a whisper, “England.” My mother and my brothers ― I thought they were going to die from relief! They hugged me so much when I was finished and then I started thinking to myself, Oh, this is great. Now, I’m going to be the one who’s getting him out of here!

Despite the dramatic trial, Tomasicchio remained interned. Then one day, a Colonel Rattan from the Canadian Army came to the family store to visit Tomasicchio. The Colonel had worked with Tomasicchio at City Dairy and the two became friends. Upon discovering Tomasicchio’s fate, the Colonel went to Petawawa and according to Grace, “The next day, my father was home.” Government records indicate J.D. Hyndman reviewed Tomasicchio’s case and recommended his release on the condition that he report monthly to the local authorities. Whether Colonel Rattan’s visit sparked this review or not it is unknown; however, Tomasicchio was released on March 27, 1941 at 7:25 am. 

Grace notes that her father was a changed man. She recalls that he was always a pleasant character, and loved to entertain friends or sing opera. However, after his release from camp he became quiet. Even on his return home, when Grace, her brother, and her nephew met him at Union station in Toronto, she recalled that he did not even recognize her or speak to her.

Grace says that her father told the family several stories about life in camp. One story is of his refusal to work at Petawawa and how this led to his confinement in his bunk, guarded by four soldiers with bayonets. This was the case for his entire internment. After the war, Tomasicchio and his family lived on Divadale Drive in the Bayview and Eglinton area. 

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Correspondence with Grace Tomasicchio, daughter of Giuseppe Tomasicchio. May/June 2012.
• Correspondence with Jerry Tomasicchio, grandson of Giuseppe Tomasicchio. May/June 2012.
• Interview with Grace Tomasicchio, daughter of Giuseppe Tomasicchio. Video Interview.  Columbus Centre Collection, July 2011.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 3569, Envelope F.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 661, Internee File 4400 “Giuseppe Tomasicchio.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, Vol. 3569, File C.
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V3.

POW #: P207
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: September 19, 1942
NATURALIZED:
BORN: May 18, 1898
DIED: October 28, 1954

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Cape Breton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Coal Miner

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Clemente Tonellato was born on May 18, 1898, in Trevignano, in the province of Treviso, Italy. His family and friends called him “Beppi,” in the native Trevisan dialect. In Canada, he was known as “Joe.” At the age of 18, he was called to the Italian Army and he volunteered in the Arditi corps. During the Battle of Caporetto in October and November 1917, Tonellato was captured by the Austro-Hungarian forces and spent two years as a prisoner of war. In 1919 and 1920, during the Italian occupation, Tonellato was stationed in Albania.

In 1921, Tonellato moved to Canada, where he worked as a coal miner at the No. 6 Colliery in New Waterford, Nova Scotia. No. 6 extended more than a mile under sea, and Tonellato worked in dusty and cramped conditions: he could not stand upright while shovelling tons of coal into buckets. During the Depression, Tonellato only worked one or two shifts a week.

In 1931, his wife – Emma Dottori – joined him in Canada. They did not have children. On June 10, 1940, Tonellato was arrested. An investigation into his affairs revealed that Tonellato did not own property. He rented a one-storey wooden shack that consisted of five small rooms. According to the family, rent (and the cost of his tools and uniform) was deducted from his pay cheque. Tonellato had a Royal Bank of Canada account with a balance of $2001.61. A year and a half prior to his arrest, Tonellato was admitted as a member of the dopolavoro. He had also submitted an application to become a member of the fascio. According to the family, Tonellato was not involved in any political activities in Italy.

Tonellato was sent to Petawawa Internment Camp and was later transferred to Fredericton (Ripples) Internment Camp for about two years. Upon investigating Tonellato’s case, J.D. Hyndman concluded, “In Sydney, Cape Breton, I made further inquiries and satisfied myself that he is distinctly pro-Fascist and, if allowed at large, would very likely prove a danger to the State”  (J.D. Hyndman Fonds). Thus, Hyndman recommended continued detention.

When Tonellato was released on September 19, 1942, he was ordered to report monthly to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He could not leave his place of residence without reporting to the RCMP. He was advised against “doing or saying anything that would deem his opposition towards the Canadian war effort or her allies, or show assistance towards Canada’s enemies.” Furthermore, he was ordered “to live with his wife’s brother on the latter’s farm … situated on the north-half of Lot No. 1 in the Township of Mountjoy in the Province of Ontario, or in such other place as may be approved … in Northern Ontario or the Prairies Provinces” and he had to “reside in such place or places for the duration of the war” (RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6).

Two years after his release, Tonellato wrote a letter to the Custodian of Enemy Property, in Ottawa, requesting the return of items (citizenship papers, passports, and private letters) belonging to the couple. As a result the items were transferred from RCMP Halifax to RCMP Toronto, and returned to Tonellato who was then living in Ontario. The items included the following: 306 letters in Italian, two passports, an ID card for Mrs. Tonellato, certificates, two immigration ID cards for Tonellato, a Certificate of Naturalization (No. 65120, Ser. A), a small notebook, and a package of clippings and forms.

According to the family, as a result of his internment, Tonellato felt betrayed because he had fought for the Allies in World War I. While interned, he became friends with internees such as Siro Moro, Angelo Dal Bello and Giovanni Muratori. After the war, he joined them in the St. Catharines-Thorold area where there was work.

In 1954, Tonellato passed away due to a heart attack. In 1972, his wife returned to Italy permanently.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Correspondence with Ido John Tonellato. Great-nephew of Clemente Tonellato. Project Staff at Columbus Centre of Toronto, 2011-2012.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG 117, Vol. 2255, Internee File 13615, “Clemente Tonellato.”
• Library and Archives Canada, J.D. Hyndman Fonds: MG 30, E 182, Vol. 14, 40D-269-4-D-9, J, J.D. Hyndman to Minister of Justice, in the Matter of the Defence of Canada Regulations and in the Matter of Clemente Tonellato, October 28, 1940.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6.
• Minister’s Orders, List V1 & V6.

POW #: P826
ARRESTED: June 20, 1940
RELEASED: August 11, 1941
NATURALIZED: January 30, 1923
BORN: June 25, 1894
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Niagara Region
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Blastman, Niagara Cut Stone Co.

RELEASE NOTES: Released conditionally upon his first subscribing to the Undertaking as set out in Regulation 24 of the Defence of Canada Regulations. He must also report once a month to the N.C.O. in charge Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Niagara Falls and that he be restricted from employment by companies or individuals engaged in the execution of Government war contracts or employment by public utilities.

Antonio Tontoli was born in Tocco Claudio, Italy, on June 25, 1894. He lived on Allen Ave. in Niagara Falls with his wife, Rita, and their three adult children. His assets included his home (valued at $24,000) on which he held a mortgage of $3000. Tontoli worked as a blastman at the Niagara Cut Stone Co.

Tontoli was interned at Camp Petawawa on June 26, 1940, and released a year later on August 11, 1941.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 2039, Internee File 5593 “Antonio Tontoli.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 3569, Envelope F.
• Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): RG18, Vol. 3569, File C.
• Minister’s Orders List V1 & V4.

POW #: P471
ARRESTED: June 10, 1940
RELEASED: July 06, 1945
NATURALIZED: January 30, 1934
BORN: September 27, 1903
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa, Fredericton
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Manager, Roma Restaurant

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

At the time of his arrest, Nello Trasciatti was 36 years old, a citizen (naturalized British subject), active in the Italian Canadian community in Montreal, and pro-fascist. Although he used the title Dr, it related to a postsecondary degree he obtained in agriculture. Instead he lived with the widow Argentina Bibianna Donati Roncarelli and was the manager of her ROMA Restaurant. He also owned a chicken farm with Roncarelli’s son Frank that was not profitable.

Although the nature of his pro-fascist activities is not known, Trasciatti’s name appears on the government list dating to Spring 1940 of “Important Members of the fascio who are naturalized and whose internment is recommended”. Other files of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) note that Trasciatti “was a very important Fascist and took part in the Ethiopian campaign” (RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 4, LAC).

Interned on July 4, 1940, Trasciatti was one of the fascist leaders in Petawawa Internment Camp. Fellow internee Vincenzo Poggi claims that Trasciatti befriended pro-Nazi internees, including O. Kraus, who was fanatically anti-British and from whom Trasciatti learned German. He sought German support in his campaign to be appointed camp spokesman and “On Hitler’s birthday, Trasciatti was greatly applauded for his fine speech in support of the Axis Powers.” (CWM 20020203-020, Canadian War Museum) Mario Lattoni was instead appointed the camp spokesperson for the Italian contingent.

Poggi claims that he was harassed by Trasciatti on an ongoing basis. On January 6, 1942, Trasciatti and other fascist leaders refused to allow Poggi in their hut as “I was not a good fascist and only good fascists were desired in that particular hut” (CWM 20020203-020, Canadian War Museum). Poggi claims that another internee Antonio Di Pietro, whom he describes as a “fanatical fascist and stooge of Trasciatti”, was particularly annoyed that Poggi was teaching painting to English internee N. Clark, as he considered him a “mounted police spy”. Clark and Di Pietro would get into a fist fight in May 1942, with Di Pietro receiving a black eye. As a result, “Trasciatti and his Fascist group came out openly and disapproved my teaching of Clark. In order to keep the peace and to protect myself from violence, I was compelled to stop giving lessons to Clark” (CWM 20020203-020, Canadian War Museum). The situation escalated when the remaining Italians were transferred to Fredericton Internment Camp. There Trasciatti was supported by Osvaldo Giacomelli, Frank Cocomille and Luigi Maravalle. On Feb 6, 1943, Poggi claims he was attacked by a “gang” of mostly German internees. However he was singled out for the beating by Trasciatti, Maravalle, and Cocomille, with all three actively participating.

The widow Roncarelli died on December 27, 1940. Trasciatti along with two other internees, Albert Severo Biffi (Importer) and Pietro Garbarino (manager of P. Pastene Co.), were named in her will as estate trustees. Trasciatti was also a beneficiary, bequeathed $60/month for his lifetime or until he “marries or cohabits”. The widow’s son, Frank Roncarelli, contested both points of the will in court. Trasciatti and Biffi, both still interned at the time of the hearing, were removed as trustees. Garbarino remained a trustee as he had been released at the time of the judgment. Of note, the judge in hearing Trasciatti’s appeal found that as “enemy aliens” the internees had no “standing” before the courts. The case is of interest as it speaks to the difficult legal position of internees. As an “inmate of an internment camp”, Trasciatti was considered an enemy, and consequently did not have full citizenship rights, including the right to act as an executor of an estate.

Trasciatti continued to contest for his inheritance and resisted any settlement. In 1946, after his release, he does seem to have been awarded $1980, along with the other personal items bequeathed to him including a fascist pin of diamond, ruby and emeralds. The case was covered in the local papers, including The Montreal Daily Star and The Gazzette.

Trasciatti was among the last of the Italian Canadians released.

Biography by Lucy Di Pietro

Do you know…
What happened to Trasciatti after the war?
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP): RG117, Vol 659, File 4163.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol 3563, Part 4.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG 18, C11-19-2-3-pt 4.
• Letter by Vincenzo Poggi. CWM 20020203-020, Canadian War Museum.

POW #: P928
ARRESTED: December 14, 1940
RELEASED: August 13, 1941
NATURALIZED: November 01, 1929
BORN: November 08, 1901
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Hamilton
MARITAL STATUS: Married
OCCUPATION: Business man, owner and operator of shoe repair store

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release; had to agree to an undertaking under Regulation 24 of the D.O.C.R. and report monthly to RCMP Hamilton

Giovanni (John) Travale was born in Racamulto, Sicily, Italy on November 8, 1901. He served in the Italian Army in 1919-1920 and was stationed in Rome. He then worked in the sulphur and salt mines of Racamulto. In 1923, Travale’s father advised him to leave Italy for Canada in search of a better life. On March 28, 1924, Travale arrived to Canada via train from New York; he lived with his uncle, Francesco Travale, in Hamilton. In 1928, Travale married his next-door neighbor, Carmela. On November 1, 1929, he became naturalized.

Travale first worked as a labourer for Canadian National Railway (CNR) and Dundas Quarry. In 1940, he operated a shoe repair shop at 1068 Barton St. East. He lived on Barton St. West where many Italians lived. He and his wife had two children: Charles (11) and Vincenza (2). On the morning of December 11, 1940 Travale was arrested by Hamilton Police at his shop and taken to the Barton Street Jail. According to Vincenza, when her mother arrived at the jail to inquire of her husband’s state, she was told, “Madam, in time of war, we act first and ask questions later.” Travale was sent to Camp Petawawa on December 14, 1940. His wife was pregnant with their third child at the time. In Travale’s absence, Carmela handled her husband’s store with the help of a fellow named Nardo Sardo. Vincenza remembers letters exchanged between her parents however they were censored by the government.

An investigation into Travale’s affairs discovered that he was the secretary-treasurer of the Racamultese Club and a member of the Italo-Canadian Club for 10 years prior to his internment. He held an executive position within the Hamilton fascio and was therefore considered to be one of the most prominent fascists in Hamilton. Travale was a close associate of Francesco Zaffiro and Alfonso Borsellino who were also interned. Lastly, Travale was thought to have knowledge of firearms and explosives. When Vincenza talks about this she states:

Yeah, he was active in social clubs. You know there was a Societa Racamultese that I think he was the Vice President or the Treasurer [for]. But he wasn’t active to my knowledge in any political organizations. He was a close friend of a gentleman who was active and you know that may have been why he was considered to be quote, dangerous.

According to Travale, her father was life-long friends with Zaffiro, as they were both from Racamulto and were born a month apart.

Travale was released on August 13, 1941 ― two months after his third child, Jack, was born. It is unclear why a man considered so dangerous by the Canadian government would be released prematurely. Travale told his family that in Petawawa he worked in the woods. He brought home several items from the camp: book ends made from bone, carved wooden birds perched on twigs, and a wooden ship in a bottle.

Travale loved Canada and the opportunities that the country brought him and his family; he even argued that Canada was the greatest country in the world. In 1954, the Travales moved to Ottawa South St. away from the Italian community. Vincenza believes her father’s decision to do this was so they could be part of the larger Canadian community, rather than stay in the close-knit Italian neighbourhood of Barton St. Vincenza says that her father was never bitter towards the Canadian government for his internment, although he always did say that he was owed eight months of his life. He was always bitter, however, about the members of the Italian community who acted as informants. Forty years later, when Travale was picking out his burial plot he made sure that none of the informants were buried nearby because then he would “never rest in peace.”

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Hamilton Ontario List.
• Interview with Vincenza Travale, daughter of Giovanni Travale. May 24, 2011. Columbus Centre Collection.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 3569, Envelope F.
• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 689, Internee File 7233, “Giovanni Travale.”
• Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): RG18, Vol. 3569, File C.
• Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 2.
• Minister’s Orders List, V2 & V4.

POW #:
ARRESTED: August 09, 1940
RELEASED: August 26, 1942
NATURALIZED: 1929
BORN: 1894
DIED:

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

RELEASE NOTES: Conditional release (see below)

Pasquale Troiano came to Canada in 1923. He was married to Caroline (b. 1897) and the couple had one son, Giuseppe Troiano, who was also interned. Pasquale did contract work for Alexander Langlois and often worked 12 hour days.

Troiano was a member of the Order Sons of Italy and the dopolavoro where he played cards. His wife Caroline had attended social events at the Casa d’Italia and may have given her ring to the Italian Red Cross during the fundraising campaign for the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.

During her husband’s and son’s internment, Caroline worked at Langlois Clothing at 53 St. Catherine St.

Troiano’s release conditions were as follows: he had to report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) once a month and he was forbidden any involvement in fascist activities or organizations. 

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, James Duncan Hyndman fonds:  MG30, E 182, Vol. 14, Letter to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 7 May 1941.
• 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, 26 Aug. 1942.

POW #: P579
ARRESTED: July 02, 1940
RELEASED:
NATURALIZED: 1938
BORN: 1915
DIED:

CAMP(S): Petawawa
TOWN/CITY: Montreal
MARITAL STATUS: Separated
OCCUPATION: Tailor and designer, Alexander Langlois

Giuseppe Troiano came to Canada in 1927. He had married a Canadian-born woman of Polish background but the couple separated in the late 1930s. The strained relations with his wife caused Troiano unspecified health issues; he returned to Italy in 1939 for eight months to recuperate. During that time, his wife left Canada and went to New York City. 

During a camp hearing with J.D. Hyndman, a judge appointed to review the cases of internees, Troiano denied being a fascist. He did recall giving $2 to the Casa d’Italia in Montreal but was not a member of the organization. He also told the judge that he was unable to eat the food at Bourdeaux Jail and basically lived on bread and water before being sent to the Petawawa Internment Camp. 

An excerpt from informant No. 17 describes Troiano as “one of the most active Fascists from the day he arrived from Italy up to his internment.  …  He has done much to convert to Fascism the Abruzzese Union.” In a letter to Minister of Justice Ernest Lapointe, Hyndman wrote “When it is considered that this young man was only twelve years of age when he arrived in Canada, it is obvious how absurd such statements must be considered to be.”

Hyndman recommended Troiano’s release, of which the exact date and any conditions are unknown.  

Troiano’s father Pasquale Troiano was also interned.

Biography by Travis Tomchuk
 
SOURCE:

• Library and Archives Canada, James Duncan Hyndman fonds:  MG30, E 182, Vol. 14, Letter to Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, 14 May 1941.

POW #: P984
ARRESTED: November 20, 1940
RELEASED: October 14, 1942
NATURALIZED: Yes
BORN: 1890
DIED:

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

RELEASE NOTES: Released conditionally (See below for further details)

Giuseppe Tucci was born in Italy in 1890. He immigrated to Canada around 1912-1913, arriving in Montreal via train from New York City. Government documents indicate that he became a citizen (a naturalized British subject) on May 20, 1930.

At the time of his arrest, he was married with four children (three of which were adults). Tucci lived on Casgrain Ave. in Montreal.

He was suspected to be a member of the Fascio, Dopolavoro, and Squadra d’Azione (the armed squads of the Blackshirts).  Evidence for Tucci’s involvement in such organizations included a picture of him from April 24, 1927, which showed Tucci in a black shirt giving the fascist salute.  It was further reported that he was spreading fascist and anti-British sentiments.  Government records state, “The Italians themselves consider him a dangerous and violent character and were greatly surprised and, in some cases even disappointed, because he has not been interned.”

Tucci admitted to being a member of the Fascio from 1927 to 1940 and that he had signed the fascist oath. He was detained on November 20, 1940, but he was not interned until April 2, 1941; reasons for this are unclear. 

On October 14, 1942 Tucci was a free man.  He was “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.” Further, he had to report monthly to the RCMP and could not change his place of residence or leave Montreal without first reporting the details to the RCMP.

Biography by Louanne Aspillaga
 
SOURCES:

• Library and Archives Canada, Custodian of Enemy Property: RG117, Vol. 696, Internee File 11570 “Giuseppe Tucci.”
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 2.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 3.
• Library and Archives Canada, RCMP: RG18, F-3, Vol. 3563, Part 6.
• Minister’s Orders List, V2, V3, and V6.