My Wartime Italian Roots and My Canadian Dream

About the Book

During the second war, the town of Pettorano sul Gizio was very close to the action because of its proximity to the Gustav Line, a defensive position estabilished by the Germans to slow down the advancing Allied forces. Pettorano’s geographic coordinates and its major transportation corridors, motivated the Germans army to set up a post in this locale. As the results of location and the German army presence, the town is rich in war history, including the evacuation of 4,000 souls when a major offensive was imminent. Some of the evacuees scattered into neighbouring outskirts, but most of them fl ed into the mountains near the village, seeking refuge. I have also added another story, which I share with at least 3,000 citizen of Pettorano: the immigrant experience.The war and its devastation on the economy made imperative the necessity to leave the homeland in search of a better life. Many of us came to Canada. It is from here that I recall the journey and pen these words and comment on the events so that our children’s and grandchildren’s generation might appreciate the sacrifi ces endured by their ancestors.

About the Author

Sebastiano “Sam” Santucci was born in Pettorano sul Gizio, L’Aquila in the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Sam attended high school and technical school in the city of Sulmona. Sam moved to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1958. He studied construction and civil engineering in the local colleges and university. He is a registered civil technologist with the Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists of Ontario. In 1963, he worked for a local engineering firm as a surveyor during the construction of Highway 403 and the King and Main Street Interchange in Hamilton. Sam later moved to Toronto and worked with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as a member of the design team for the Freeman Interchange in Burlington and the Niagara Street Interchange in St. Catharines. Sam moved to Saltfleet in 1964 and to Oakville in 1965 where he was employed by the municipality and became involved in all the major construction projects in town, including the Smith/ Triller Viaduct across the 16 Mile Creek. He retired in 1999 as a chief construction inspector and still is active in consulting work.