2002 PAOLO P. LONGO AWARD RECIPIENT

Joseph Perricone Caltagirone

JOSEPH PERRICONE CALTAGIRONE

Joseph Caltagirone was born in 1926 to Alfonso Guida Caltagirone and Angelina Licata Perricone in Seminole Heights.  His father migrated to America in 1900 at the age of five from Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily, and his mother was born in 1904 on the site where the first Italian Club Building was erected.

In 1943, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Navy and after completing parachute rigger school, he was placed in the Safety Division of a Navy air advanced fighter squadron, F6F Hellcats and F4U Corsairs.  His job was to issue, fit and instruct the pilots in the use of their parachutes, oxygen equipment and sea safety devices.  In order to obtain the extra flight pay, he would participate in training missions where young pilots would use only radar in order to locate the position of the plane he was flying in.  Joe flew in the rear of a Hellcat dive-bomber armed only with a lamp and was responsible for making sure that mid air collisions did not occur.

After his stint in the service, Joe completed high school then completed two years at Eikeland School of Art.  In order to further his art education, he was prepared to leave for Florence, Italy when he met his wife Dora Scolaro at a wedding reception.  His plans regarding Italy now changed; he enrolled in drafting classes at night and then later continued his education full-time at the High Point Technical Education Center and received his Tool Designing.

 Joe has worked as an architectural design detail specialist draftsman for Hafner-Ferlita Architects, formerly The MacEwen Group, Architects for the past thirty-five years and recently retired.  His talents and abilities have allowed him to make significant contributions to the Italian community.  Joe is also a member of The Council of 1000 of The National Italian American Foundation in Washington, DC.

Joe’s work in preserving the Italian Club Building and the Cemetery, along with his work with the Italian Cultural Club, has been unwavering for over 25 years.  His has been generous in his preservation work and was truly instrumental in achieving the coveted historical designation for the Italian Club Cemetery.  Joe’s contribution to our community will endure for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

October 19, 2002

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