It
is difficult to say exactly when the idea of writing this book came about. As far as can be determined, on a day in July
of 2004, Antonio Ghezzo and I had been complete strangers. However, it was on that day, at Dino’s
Restaurant in Pasadena, that a luncheon was held by the Italian genealogy club
known as POINTers.
A common practice during these luncheons is to pass the
microphone around from one person to the next and, in turn, each person tells
of their latest discoveries regarding their lineage or perhaps some Italian
historical anecdote they had recently learned.
As it happened, the subject under discussion at that time
was L’Italo-Americano newspaper. When the microphone was passed to me, I could
not help but speak about an article I had recently enjoyed reading about Italy
during the Second World War. After
passing the microphone to the next person, my observant wife Marie leaned over
and whispered, “The author of that article you liked so much is sitting at that
table at the far end of the room.” The person she was referring to was Antonio
Ghezzo, who was sitting with his wife, Giovanna.
The Italian genealogy club continued to meet periodically
for lunch. Antonio and I, as well as
Marie and Giovanna, became better acquainted and eventually, a strong bond
developed. With the friendship, came
revelations from Antonio of his early years.
He spoke of his teenage years as an Italian underground resistance
fighter, relating anecdotes of the many battle skirmishes, in which he narrowly
escaped death. He spoke of his
determination to rid Italy of Nazis and Fascists, referring to them as a plague
upon his land. Antonio had authored two
pamphlet-like booklets describing his experiences. Upon reading them, I suggested to Antonio
that his story would make an interesting book. We kicked the idea around for a
while, discussing it whenever we got together at a dinner or picnic or other
celebration. The very thought of putting
it all in a book seemed a monumental undertaking, but I could not let it rest. I would not think of intruding on Antonio’s
private life, but at the same time, I was unable to put aside the idea of
writing his story.
Finally,
I decided to broach the subject to Antonio, so I called him at home. When Antonio answered the phone, the
conversation went something like this: “Tony, what do you think of the idea of
my writing a book about your life as an Italian Partisan?”
After
a pause, Antonio finally spoke, “Well, Sal, others have mentioned that same
idea in the past, but nothing ever came of it.”
“Tony,”
I said, “I believe it would make a great book.
It’s a story which is begging to be told and it should not go to waste.
And, I would like to be the person to tell it.”
Antonio
had heard this before. “Do you realize how much work is involved?” he asked.
“Yes,”
I said, “but I’m not afraid of work.
However, I hope you realize that by bestowing your blessing on this
project, I will be picking your brain and pestering you with a lot of
questions.”
Antonio
thought for a while and said, “Okay, Sal. You have my blessings. I just hope you know what you’re letting
yourself in for. If your past articles
are any indication of your writing, I’m sure it will be a good book.”
That’s
all I needed. Upon getting the “Okay,” from Antonio, I began an immediate
research project on the political history paralleling the years of Antonio’s
childhood and how it all impacted his life.
During
the ensuing years, the four of us met often. Besides the periodic genealogy
club luncheons, we attended a number of other Italian functions such as the
Trentino Club Sunday brunches, Fameja Veneta luncheons, and various Italian
picnics at Phelan and Villa Scalabrini and concerts of classical music and
various dinners.
At
last, came the day when I had a completed manuscript ... but no publisher, so I
was badly in need of a miracle. What I
didn’t know is that I had been sitting next to the miracle for the longest
time. During the years attending the genealogy
club luncheons, we had befriended a lady named Jean Giunta-Denning and her
husband, Vaughn Denning. And what I did not know was that Jean Giunta-Denning
was the publisher of Thunderbird Press of Rancho Mirage. The rest, as they say, is history.
Living
in the Mouth of the Wolf is the
story of Antonio Ghezzo which began many years before his birth at a time when
political turmoil brewed over much of the world. It was a time when much of the world was
still licking the wounds they had encountered during the First World War, a war
which many believed would end all wars.
But while some sought the everlasting peace they had hoped for, others
were occupied developing a personal agenda of power and conquest, creating an
atmosphere of political chaos by which Antonio and many youngsters like him
would be cheated out of their childhood and adolescence.
Living
in the Mouth of the Wolf may be
purchased here at this website or at:
Whittier Bookstore - In person or by phone
6708 Greenleaf Ave.
Whittier, CA 90601 (562) 286-6708
