Casa Emigranti Italiani 

Born in Canicattini in 1946, Michele grew up loving the land and spending time with his father learning skills long lost from how to make cheese to how to make ricotta to working the land! He was not forced to do it, he loved doing it!

A Perito Radio Tecnico, Michele found out the hard way that apparently due to a misunderstanding he had failed to report for his military duty which in Italy was and is mandatory! Following a resolution of this problem he was sent to Orvieto and then Rome to serve. He was ready to go on to a town near Genova and serve in his field of telecommunication when he was advised that he would be sent instead to Gaeta and the military prison there: due to a shortage of nurses he had been selected to fill the gap!

The arrival in Gaeta on a cold February night in 1966 was less than auspicious: a rainy night with no electricity and a less than welcoming surrounding. But all is not what it appears!

Michele found a fatherly like figure in the local commander; he learned nursing skills; he found out that the duties were not that difficult and more benefits than he had expected!

In the summer he found himself working at a local beach in support of the U.S. Sixth Fleet and speaking a little English with the Americans! Not a bad four month stint!

Michele also came in contact with a couple of infamous detainees: Herbert Kappler, the Nazi SS commander responsible for the massacre at the Fosse Ardeatine and SS Major Walter Reder who directed a massacre at Marzabotto, near Bologna!

In 1972 he decided to join his father to the USA, employment opportunities in Sicily being very limited!

Here he worked for Faffnir from 72-to 80, with ABC imports in 81 and in 82 he took over management of his father's business, a 10 room motel not far from Hartford.

He would run the motel until the year 2000 when sold it and "semi retired".

Married since 1980 Michele has 3 children and hopes to be a grandfather for the very first time in the next couple of months.

Zocco family portrait, 1950 ( Michele is first child from left on the ground), on the occasion of the ordination of Salvatore Zocco.

Villa Borghese, Roma, 1966, military duty.

Gaeta, summer 1966, military duty tending bar at the beach!! Note sign in Italian and English!

Outside Canicattini ( migliarina) , 1965

In Fermo to study for Perito Radio Tecnico