Epilogue

Rocco D’Alessandro, master tailor sired six sons. In his lifetime he was able to see the four who survived succeed in their chosen fields and establish their own families, families with sons and daughters who have also reached their majority and have joined the ranks of productive citizens as the twentieth century comes to a close. Rocco D’Alessandro’s legacy is the family he established in the United States of America.

It started with Nicholas Salvatore D’Alessandro (Nicola), (Nick) who as a medical doctor served his fellow man in a long, general medical practice and as Cleveland’s Police Surgeon well and for many years. At his death in 1975 the City of Cleveland saw fit to honor his passing with a full police honor guard and motorcycle escort from the church to the cemetery.

Nick was followed by Sol (Solly), (Mario Saverio), who as a master printer and lithographer, by dint of hard work rose from the ranks to head his company (The Horn & Norris Lithograph Company) for many years, until his retirement. Blessed with a pleasing tenor voice, he was as well known among Barber Shop Quartet aficionados as he was among printers and lithographers. They joined in mourning Sol’s passing in 1980.

Then there was Arthur (Art), (Arturo), who as a general surgeon not only served long and well in a civilian practice but also served as a battlefield surgeon from the landing in Normandy on D Day until the end of World War II. During his civilian practice he helped found Parma General Hospital and served as chief of surgery there for a number of years. On retiring from his medical practice, Art served as Medical Director for Central Reserve Life for several years. His many former associates at the hospital and at Central Reserve Life marked doctor Art’s passing in 1989 with numerous verbal and written accolades.

I as the fifth of father’s six sons was fortunate to have been chosen to serve in two of the greatest libraries in the world–the Cleveland Public Library and the Library of Congress in a career that extended over six decades.

In the writing of the pages of this book over the past two and a half years, I have come to the conclusion that my brothers and I had been blessed and privileged to be Americans because father had had the vision and the courage to migrate as he did, sans parental blessing, to the United States of America at the turn of the century.