Felice Martiniello and friend on boat trip to Italy

Black and white photograph of Felice Martiniello and an unidentified friend while on a boat trip to Italy. Both men are wearing swimsuits and appear to be standing at the edge of the swimming pool. Martiniello visited Italy during this pre-World War II trip that seems to have been sponsored by the Italian government. Other community members from Cape Breton such as Bortolo (Bert) Gatto and Peter Favretto also made this trip to Italy.

Martiniello also seems to have been a supporter of Italian fascism. He was the secretary of the local fascio. His son Frank Martinello remembers owning a black shirt and attending Italian school. While on this trip to Italy, Martiniello managed to obtain a signed photograph of Benito Mussolini. The trip to Italy and his involvement with the local fascio were likely used by the Canadian government to justify his arrest and internment in 1940.