Interview with Emilio Mascia

Video interview with Emilio Mascia conducted in Italian.

Emilio Mascia was born in the small village of Rotello in Italy. Though he lived in Italy during World War II – arrived in Canada in 1958 -  Emilio’s uncle, Luigi Mascia, was interned at Camp Petawawa for two years. His father-in-law, Antonio (Tony) Olivieri, was also interned, though he does not speak to this. He speaks to the internment experience through the stories told to him years later by his Uncle Luigi and other family members. According to Emilio, Luigi was interned because of his active membership with the Order Sons of Italy in Hamilton, though Luigi’s family was given no reasoning at the time of his arrest. The family left behind relied on the financial assistance of another family member who worked for Stelco Steel Company.