My grandfather, Police Officer. He was a young member of the San Marco Regiment who fought in World War II. Ruggiero was taken prisoner by the French troops in Algeria where he managed to save himself during an Allied bombing raid. He was released after the official withdrawal of Italy from war on September 8, 1943. After the war, he obtained an official award as a partisan by the Italian Government and by the President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini for the years 1943 to 1945. A few years after his return home, he participated to a public competition to become Deputy Commander of the local police. He obtained this office in 1954, and only a few years later was appointed as Commander. In the 1983 after his early retirement for merits of war, he received by the town authorities an gold medal for services rendered to the local community and to the Police Force. He was married to Natalizia Papeo with whom he had two sons, Andrea (my father) and Antonio. He passed away after having fought and lost his battle against a long illness when I was just five years old. I do not have many memories of him but I know he was a good man even with all his flaws. Ruggiero was loved and respected by all his family and by his town who remember him with love and affection. A man who loved his family and who worked a lifetime for them.
My grandfather, Police Officer. He was a young member of the San Marco Regiment who fought in World War II. Ruggiero was taken prisoner by the French troops in Algeria where he managed to save himself during an Allied bombing raid. He was released after the official withdrawal of Italy from war on September 8, 1943. After the war, he obtained an official award as a partisan by the Italian Government and by the President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini for the years 1943 to 1945. A few years after his return home, he participated to a public competition to become Deputy Commander of the local police. He obtained this office in 1954, and only a few years later was appointed as Commander. In the 1983 after his early retirement for merits of war, he received by the town authorities an gold medal for services rendered to the local community and to the Police Force. He was married to Natalizia Papeo with whom he had two sons, Andrea (my father) and Antonio. He passed away after having fought and lost his battle against a long illness when I was just five years old. I do not have many memories of him but I know he was a good man even with all his flaws. Ruggiero was loved and respected by all his family and by his town who remember him with love and affection. A man who loved his family and who worked a lifetime for them.
