Page 85 - A Talk with Dominic Nardocchio

ISSUE : Issue 53

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/1/1

write your family. (Could they come to see you?) Oh, yeah. But if they were handy. Some of those in Montreal, they'd make an application to see them once a month. (But for 21 months, then, you didn't see your family.) Oh, I didn't see anybody, no, no, no. My wife had 8 small children--she couldn't move. She didn't have the money anyway. And she couldn't leave the house; she couldn't leave the family. (Eight small children.) Yeah. And the Red Cross gave her one quart of milk a day. But you know, she paid them back. (How did she do that?) After I came home, they called her to work for the Red Cross. And she worked for the Red Cross for 8 years, 4 hours a week. Besides a bundle of work she took home. Yeah. And worked at the same time for the Catholic Charities. There were many bundles of finished babies' under? shirts made of flannellette. I had to buy her a new Singer electric machine to help her get through with her work. Large rolls of flannellette were delivered to our home. I said to my wife one evening, "Do you be? lieve that these organizations deserve all this?" She said, "I don't do it for the organization. I do it because I believe that these shirts will keep some babies warm wherever they are in the world." After, I realized I did the same thing. I repaired the Little Flower Orphanage chil? dren's shoes for about 30 years. No charge. I used my material and labour. At times there were 40 or 50 children but I always felt a soft spot in my heart for the orphans. Because it wasn't the or? phans' fault for being put in this world of injustice.... My wife stopped working for the organiza? tions when her eyes started to give her trouble and the doctor's advice to her was, "You have done enough to raise nine children, and don't forget charity begins at home." (How did she survive those two years you were away, and feed those kids?) Oh, she didn't survive too good. They even shot--I had 3 German shepherd dogs. And they came home--one, dragged home, shot. The other was shot. One came home badly wounded, had to call the police to finish him. (How about the rest of the Italian commu? nity-did they take care of your wife?) "We will give Life Insurance to anyone age 15 to 80. No one turned down. No Health Questions aslced." Druker Insurance Charlotte Street, Sydney • 562::5504 Call Toll Free 1-564-6000 Budget Plan Available Oh, the Italians, they all watched them? selves. They were all scared that they'd be interned, you see. They all, they used to call her up to talk with her and every? thing, but.... My father used to come here, and my mother. But at the same time, they were always watching themselves, be? cause they'd all be scared that they'd be interned too. (When you were released--March 8, 1942-- and you came back....) Oh, when I came back, I ti-ean, there was--all I had to do, I went to report to the RCMP--that's all. No questions asked, nothing. They told me to report once a month. "And anybody come and insult you or try to pick up an argu? ment with you, report them to us, and you'll be taken care of." Oh, yeah. (You already had your business on Char? lotte Street.) Oh, yeah. (When I retired) I had been there (a total of) 57 years. I was there since 1929. (So you were there almost 14 years when they came to take you to the camp.) Yeah. " But as I said, see, the thing that I re? sent so much was that we were given an in? vestigation, see. And under this investi? gation, you see, when the RCMP found out that there wasn't one--the sergeant in charge of the investigation really, really got sore. Because, he got mad, you know. He said to me, "Dominic, let me ask Joe. He'll understand me. I'll make him under? stand me." "Okay." So the sergeant said, "Joe, have you any bad friends." Joe said, "No--me no bad friends. Me work in pit every day. Me no bad friends." "Well, Joe, you must have--some bad words some time, with somebody. Think back. Think back. See if you can remember anything." "Well," Joe Jim Sampson Motors Ltd. SAYS "TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" Cape Breton's Authorized *' Volkswagen Audi Dealer '* 539-1610 [Sh' An Established Leader 132 TOWNSEND ST. 1' '" ''''' '''"''"y SYDNEY, N. s. The "I Care" People Supertor Service: 24 hours a day, 7daysaweek Quperiof Automatic Deiivery: every 12 or I6weel(s Marketing a Complete Line of Propane Burning Appliances Superior Propane Off Hwy. #305, Ultches Creek, Sydney 539-1060

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