Escapes

By Vic DiMartino

Arturo DiMartino's Italy is in ruins at the end of WWI. Its politics splintered. Its economy tattered. Its social fabric shredded. Italians blame their weak leaders and demand their overthrow. Mussolini steps onto the political stage and his populist views and spirited charisma captivate the country. Arturo joins Mussolini's political campaign and begins a long political career under the Fascist Regime. Rewarded for his loyalty and political instinct, the National Fascist Party appoints him to the most powerful office in Sicily's Trapani Province. But, when Il Duce tries to expand Italy's influence through military force, Arturo pushes back. His resistance starts a series of perilous events. The Blackshirts, Mussolini's enforcers, issue an ultimatum-leave Italy or die. Three generations of the family face one crisis after another. From life-threatening and near-death experiences to unwavering love and humorous episodes, Escapes is an insight into the tenacity and resilience of the human spirit. Based on a true story, it also exposes little-known facts about Italy's role in ending WWI and why the Great War's aftermath led Italy to side with Germany in WWII. "Escapes is so interesting I forgot I was proofreading and kept on reading! Unable to talk with my deceased Italian grandparents, the adventures of Arturo and his family will have to fill in the blanks."-Gilda Vincent

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644715307

Book preview

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Escapes

A Novel

Vic DiMartino

ISBN 978-1-64471-529-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64471-530-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2019 Vic DiMartino

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

History is nothing more than a thin thread of what is remembered stretched out over an ocean of what has been forgotten.

—Milan Kundera

Scaling the Alps of Tyrol on the Italian-Austrian border in WWI

Foreword

War is hell, a quote by William T. Sherman from his address to the graduating class of the Michigan Military Academy in 1879, is well known, often quoted, and rarely argued. I suspect it obscures a more common question proffered by many, often after the cessation of hostilities. Why? Why did people invest themselves in leadership that led them to conflict? What justifies the complete disruption of their lives and the loss of others?

This book was inspired by the author’s desire to understand, on a personal level, the thinking behind his cherished grandfather’s early support of Benito Mussolini. On a larger scale, what were the people of Italy thinking when they elevated Mussolini to power? In retrospect, was their belief in Il Duce simply a reaction to the horrors of war and the collective misery of Italians?

Unfortunately, Italy’s activities in both WWI and WWII are not the stuff of common legend. The truth appears to be the events and results of the first war contributed to the actions of the second. This is a lesson of utmost importance, relegated to the dustbin of historical archives at the cost of future lives because the facts were ignored.

As Victor DiMartino provides the reader a setting and context for his grandfather’s actions, we follow a family through the decisions, dangers, and the daily hard work of survival in a world turned upside down and gone mad.

While this novel is a study in familial bonds and the cultural importance they provide in strengthening societies, it is also a study in the common person’s struggle during times of war. Relocation created by war is common. How a family binds together with bonds that keep hope alive, futures considered as family ties continue, are studies in the human spirit itself.

As you read, remember, we are all people with stories. Some are blessed with strong family ties with interests to pursue their history; others perhaps never give it a thought. What richness can be added to one’s life by simply asking about family history, even around the kitchen table? Indeed, Victor DiMartino is a blessed soul to have discovered and memorialized much of his grandfather Arturo’s story.

—Paul Howell

Preface

This is the story of the Sicilian politician Arturo DiMartino and his family who endured the dangers of Mussolini’s repressive regime and lived through the pains of two world wars. Threatened with assassination by the Blackshirts, they fled for the safety of North Africa and the new customs, languages, and challenges of French Morocco’s strange and exotic culture.

They adapted to their new land and lived in freedom far from the fascist threat they left behind. Two years later after the Nazi invasion of France in World War II, their lives were once again upended when their son Nino was rounded up by the Nazi-controlled French Vichy and held prisoner in a forced labor camp.

As one of the few remaining members of Arturo’s third generation, I wanted to record the story before time forever erased it. As a young boy, I shared a close bond of love with my paternal grandfather. The adventures we had together are still fresh in my mind as if time had stood still.

Initial thoughts were to write the story as a family biography, keeping our family memories alive and available for family descendants. In that effort, I needed to learn how politics and two world wars impacted the DiMartinos. It was not only curiosity that drove my research; I also wanted to learn—perhaps justify—why my grandfather chose a political career under the despised dictator Benito Mussolini.

I began investigating Italy’s involvement in World War I, a nearly forgotten chapter in the country’s history. I found the postwar despair and shattered economy experienced by most Italians was the fundamental reason which drove Arturo to join Mussolini at the start of the dictator’s early political campaign. It marked the beginning of Arturo’s twenty-year political career.

Exploring many historical records was a fascinating undertaking and an enlightening journey. My research surfaced surprising and little-known facts about Italy’s role in the Great War. As important as they were, they remain hidden in the shadows of history.

To a large degree, other seemingly more important considerations took precedence. As an example, some accounts are dismissive of the horrific war Italy fought in the forbidding terrain of the country’s northeastern Alps. That three-year war is regarded by some accounts as only a diversionary tactic of the more important battles fought on Europe’s western front.

The self-imposed amnesia of Italians, reluctant to relive the war’s destructive aftermath, compounds the lack of visibility. Therefore, it is not surprising that the record remains fragmented, conflicted, and often overlooked. The actual facts, absent in most historical accounts, are not generally well known.

Perhaps noted author Mark Sullivan says it best in the preface to his best-selling novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky. He describes the collective amnesia of Italians in northern Italy during the Nazi occupation in World War Two: Much of the amnesia was caused by Italians who’d survived. As one old partisan fighter told me, ‘We were still young and wanted to forget. We wanted to put the terrible things we’d experienced behind us. No one talks about World War Two in Italy, so no one remembers.’

For similar reasons, the events of Italy’s involvement in World War I have been nearly forgotten. As well, with the passing of more than a century, time has taken its toll in bringing to light a history many Italians tried to forget. Unlike survivors of World War II who are still alive today, no Italian who fought in World War I is still living. The last one died in October 2008.

The story recounts how both wars impacted the DiMartinos and their influence on the family’s successive generations. After all, in the absence of those wars, many experiences, events, and outcomes would have never taken place.

Witnesses to family events are no longer alive. It was therefore impossible to reconstruct actual conversations and details which were lost with their passing. Only the author’s imagination was left to fill the voids and weave them into the story’s fabric. In view of these limitations, instead of writing the story as a family biography, it was recast as a novel, one of historical and creative nonfiction. To protect the privacy of succeeding generations now scattered among several countries and continents, the family surname is fictional.

The story developed from personal experiences, from research into family and historical records, and as best as my memory permitted, from recollections of numerous incidents told and retold over the years by relatives. Covering a span of more than one hundred years required condensing and focusing on the more relevant, interesting, and even humorous episodes in the family’s lives.

Both world wars influenced many of the DiMartinos’ lives in countless ways. How they were affected is the basis of the story while the aftermath of two world wars forms the story’s backdrop. Based on a true story and actual events, it is nonetheless a work of fiction colored by the author’s interpretation of Italy’s historical past.

Acknowledgments

This work could not and would not have been possible without the help, support, guidance, and time provided by many individuals. The author is deeply indebted to each and every one who assisted in the effort. Furthermore, apologies are extended to those who have helped but have been unintentionally omitted in this acknowledgment.

Without the invaluable assistance and critique of numerous members of the Morningside Writers Group, Port Saint Lucie, Florida, the story could not have been told. Special thanks are extended to several members of the group including:

Allan Ramsay whose critical eye and knowledge was invaluable; Gene Hull and Peter Haase, who have guided and mentored the group for many years and whose critiques further helped to hone the story; Larry and Judith Shaffer whose kind encouragement constantly buoyed the author’s enthusiasm to forge ahead; Michael Maggiano, whose eye for technical details was sharp, concise, and helpful; and to Craig Cochran whose weekly words of support continued to motivate the author.

Thanks are extended to Gene Lenard of Hood River, Oregon, and Fort Meyers, Florida. A schoolmate and friend for many decades, he provided constructive feedback by reading the earliest draft of each chapter, giving advice and helping to shape the story’s development.

Much gratitude is extended to Gilda Vincent of San Jose, California, who did a commendable job of editing the initial manuscript.

Thanks to Diane Cathey, of Sebastian, Florida who read the near-final draft of the novel and whose positive response further convinced the author to pursue the novel’s publication.

A special thank you is extended to Susan Smith (S.E. Smith), a prolific author, who took precious time away from her craft to provide early and invaluable guidance.

Thanks to Mark Sullivan, author of numerous novels, including his recent best-seller Beneath a Scarlet Sky, which inspired the author to continue crafting his own novel and for extending his kind permission to quote from its preface.

Loving thanks to my wife who assisted in jogging my memory of events which were buried in my mind and who succeeded in bringing them to life.

Lastly, the author is indebted to the memories of his paternal grandfather who left an indelible mark on the author’s life without which this story would have been impossible.

Prologue

Threatened by Mussolini’s Blackshirts, the powerful politician Arturo DiMartino and his family are forced to flee Sicily to avoid assassination. The story follows the impact war had on three generations of his family across several nations and during the period prior to and after both world wars.

When World War I started, Italy was neutral and favored neither side in the conflict. Both the Allies and the Central Powers tried to entice Italy to join them by offering a variety of inducements. While weighing the offers, Italy continued to remain neutral. She was finally persuaded to join the Allies—Britain, France, Ireland, and Russia—and fight against the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the Allies conceded numerous lands Italy deemed important to her. The terms of the agreement were codified by the Treaty of London with the land grants to take effect at war’s end. One month after the treaty was signed, ten months after the start of the war, Italian combat began on the treacherous mountain ranges of Northeast Italy.

Italy’s war, the twelve Battles of the Isonzo in the Italian Alps against the Austro-Hungarians and Germans over more than three years, is not well known. Even less has been written about the enormous casualties both sides suffered on the most formidable mountain terrain in the history of modern warfare. And nearly absent in the historical record is the role Italy played in ending World War I’s hostilities.

The record is scant, contradictory and ignores how the hostilities ended. Four months after the last battle on the Isonzo, the Italian-led Allied forces fought the final battle at Vittorio Veneto. The Austro-Hungarians suffered 500,000 casualties, and their empire collapsed. Germany asked for and was granted an armistice signed eight days later, ending the war’s hostilities.

More than seven months passed before the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war. It created the League of Nations, denied Italy most of the previously pledged territories, and imposed onerous sanctions and reparations on Germany.

President Woodrow Wilson advocated the founding of the League of Nations, believing it would prevent future world wars. Instead, the denial of lands to Italy and the heavy-handed reparations imposed on Germany induced their future alliance in World War II.

World War I had far-reaching consequences on Italy and its people. Its aftermath resulted in economic ruin, political chaos, the rise of Benito Mussolini, and more than twenty years of his fascist rule. In spite of Italy’s enormous war casualties and ruined economy, the breach of territorial grants drove the country into a collective state of despair. Italians desperately sought redress from their unjust postwar treatment.

Italy was a broken nation after the Great War. Its economy was ruined; hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers flooded its hospitals, and countless civilians died from malnutrition. Anguish plagued the nation. The hopes and spirits of Italians were crushed, leaving the country in tatters. The ensuing political and economic chaos was blamed on Italy’s feckless leaders. Italians longed for strong leadership to restore morale and order. Incensed by their leaders’ failures, they demanded change. The disarray created the opportunity for new leadership to ascend to power.

Benito Mussolini filled the void created by the country’s upheaval. His populist message and insight into Italian angst propelled his success. His views resonated with Italians as it did with Arturo DiMartino.

Coming from a long line of peasant farmers, Arturo was grounded in their hard life and was sympathetic to them. Like millions of Italians, he was persuaded by Mussolini’s strength, charisma, and populist views.

At the age of twenty-eight, Arturo volunteered in Mussolini’s early political campaign. Politics quickly became his passion, starting a long twenty-year political career under the fascist regime. After holding successive political positions, Arturo was appointed podesta of Trapani Province. The office replaced the elected offices of mayor throughout Italy. It was the most powerful political office in nearly every Italian province.

During his political career, Arturo became jaded by the continuous plight of his countrymen. He was cynical of Mussolini’s plans to expand Italian territories by military force. Over time, his contempt for the dictator grew to the point of outright defiance. His rebellion against the regime resulted in the targeting of his family for ruthless and life-threatening reprisals.

The Camicie Nere, the Blackshirts, enforcers of Mussolini’s National Fascist Party, dealt with those who defied the regime. Despite his powerful office, Arturo’s dissent could no longer be tolerated by the NFP. The power of his office would not save him and his family from the Blackshirts. It left little choice but to escape Sicily and start their lives anew in the safe, faraway, and exotic land of French Morocco.

Part 1

Escape from Tyranny

Chapter 1

The Warning

Sicily, Early September 1938

Vincenzo was unusually quiet as he sat with his family at the dinner table. He ate slowly, taking unhurried spoonfuls of soup. He lingered, holding his empty spoon momentarily between mouthfuls, staring blankly at his soup bowl. He spoke not a word. The usual, light-hearted conversation at the dinner table was absent. Neither his children nor his wife, Gina, ignored his silence.

Puzzled by his aloofness, and perturbed by her husband’s silence, she tried to get his attention by asking him, Is something bothering you?

With his raised spoon held still above his soup bowl and eyes fixated, trancelike on it, he didn’t respond.

Vincenzo! What’s wrong?

Startled by her loud retort, he snapped out of his daze and answered, Nothing, Gina, nothing at all.

You stared into space when you first sat down. Now you’re staring at your plate, not saying a word. What are you thinking about? You’re acting weird tonight.

I’m sorry. I’m bothered by what I overheard today. I’ll tell you about it later.

He now acted more naturally and ate at a normal pace.

Great soup as usual, Gina.

Thanks, I’m glad you like it.

I always do. You make the best pasta fagioli in Sicily. Too bad our son doesn’t like it as much as I do.

It’s not that I don’t like it, answered their son, Roberto. Mama makes other things I like better. Pasta fagioli isn’t my favorite, but this one’s okay. It’s not bad at all.

Mama’s a good cook, huh, Roberto?

He answered his sister’s question with an affirmative nod while slurping a spoonful of soup. After he swallowed it, he said, Mama, this is pretty good. Are you sure this is pasta fagioli?

I doctored it a bit. If your father didn’t have a good job, we’d be eating plain bean soup without sausage and vegetables. I doubt it would taste as good without them. Thank your father for being a good provider.

Thanks, Papa,

For what? answered his father, oblivious to the conversation of his son and wife.

With dinner finished, the two preteens helped to clear the table. They started their homework while their mother washed the dishes. Vincenzo sat on a rocking chair in the front room. He began to read the newspaper he bought on his way home from work. It was a daily routine after work. He’d stop for bread at the bakery and buy the current edition of the newspaper. After dinner, relaxing in his easy chair, he’d usually light his pipe and read.

This evening, however, he couldn’t focus on the paper. Distracted by the day’s events and thinking about his friend’s fate, he stared at the newsprint but didn’t read it. His pipe remained unlit.

Several hours later, the children went to bed, and the couple retired to their bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed half-undressed and once again began staring into the distance.

"What is it? Why are you acting so strange tonight?

Today, I overheard a plan to get rid of Arturo.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. He’s been bucking the regime for some time. Everyone knows it.

They’re not replacing him. I overhead them talking about killing him and his entire family.

My God, they can’t be serious! They’ll have hell to pay. His supporters will riot in the streets. Are they crazy? Don’t they know this?

It sounded serious to me. Who knows what they’re thinking. I need to warn him, but it’s risky. If I’m caught, they’ll threaten us too.

And if he’s not warned, they’ll all be killed. He’s been your friend for years. Shouldn’t you warn him somehow, someway?

Maybe there’s a way. Let’s sleep on it and decide in the morning.

For hours, Vincenzo tossed and turned in bed, awake, staring at the ceiling, thinking of Arturo’s plight, trying to decide how to warn him without risking his own safety or that of his family. After several hours of restlessness had passed, he remained awake, still thinking about his friend’s dilemma and his own. Unable to fall asleep, he got out of bed at two thirty in the morning, dressed, and kissed his wife goodbye before leaving for Arturo’s home. The kiss awakened her, I’m leaving for Arturo’s, he told her.

As he kissed her again, she whispered, Be careful. Be safe. Don’t wake the kids.

I’ll be careful. Go back to sleep; I shouldn’t be long.

Vincenzo decided to bike to Arturo’s home instead of taking his car. It was only two miles to the DiMartino estate, and the bike would be less conspicuous.

*****

Maximo, a 150-pound Sicilian Shepherd, slept at the foot of his master’s bed. His ears stood up when he sensed someone approaching. His low, soft growl brought Arturo out of a deep sleep but didn’t fully wake him. Still half asleep, he dreamed of a growling dog.

The heavy pounding on the front door followed by Maximo’s loud, aggressive bark fully awoke Arturo DiMartino and his wife. Startled, he sprang out of bed and slipped into his pants. He left the bedroom, followed by Maximo now running toward the front door in full-attack mode. The whole house woke to the commotion. Shirtless, Arturo hurried to the front door. As he reached for the dead bolt, the pounding resumed, provoking Maximo into another round of loud, aggressive barking. Arturo quieted the dog and cautiously opened the door.

He blocked it with his shoulder and peered through its thin slit, preventing the visitor from entering and Maximo from exiting and attacking. He strained to see in the dim light of the portico light and recognized his friend, Vincenzo, a member of the Blackshirts, the dreaded enforcement arm of the Mussolini regime. He was alone and appeared nervous.

Bringing the dog to heel, he opened it further. He continued to block the opening, keeping the dog inside. Assuming the worst, Arturo asked, What’s wrong? What’s going on?

Vincenzo’s low, uneasy, and winded whisper had an ominous tone. It conveyed a grim foreboding. Quick, we must talk, out of view.

Why at such an early hour?

It’s important. The Blackshirts don’t know I’m here.

Go to the back porch. I’ll quiet the dog, send the family back to bed, and meet you there.

Okay, but hurry. I can’t risk being seen here.

Who’s going to see you on the back porch at three in the morning? Go around the house. Bring your bike. I’ll be there shortly.

Closing and locking the door behind him, he turned to his family and reassured them everything was under control. He sent them all back to bed and told his wife to take Maximo to the bedroom with her. He followed her, grabbed a shirt, and put it on as he hurried through the house to the back door leading to the porch.

So at this ungodly hour, I suppose you have urgent…probably bad news, eh?