MR. MARINO FROM GAGGIO MONTANO
Many years ago, a person from Gaggio , of whom I have always known only the name: Marino, came to my residence at the Poggio, to tell me what happened towards the end of September 1944 in the Ronchidos area.
As he spoke, I began to transcribe what he was going to tell me, and that is verbatim the following:
"We were three brothers and we went to Ronchidos above with the cattle in order to save them.
A farmer with the surname Iatoni, who was hiding in the barn, said to his wife : < Fonsa, bring me food >
But a German soldier heard the sentence and they searched for him and took him.
I and two or three others were hiding in an airplane bomb hole, then we went toward the houses, but we were caught by the Germans.
Another soldier, who must have been of Polish origin, took me and instructed me to help him in the kitchen plucking chickens and fanning the charcoal in the stove.
On September,27 1944 after about 1:30'/14 p.m. the partisans fired a few shots, the Germans returned fire but, because of the thick fog, they wounded each other and so the shooting began.
The Germans came from the Cassara fountain.
Also present was Sara Barzini who managed to save herself, as well as Sara Lenzi; my brother was with Tanari Bruno, there was Attilio Lenzi father of Sara, who is the wife of Gino Lenzi.
In Ronchidos di sotto, the civilians stayed from the afternoon of the 27th to the morning of 9/29.
I met the Lodi family, which on 9/29 was in Ronchidos di sotto together with 30/35 people.
The Germans spread the rumor that the civilian prisoners would take them to the Modena area.
Instead around 10 or 11 a.m. on 29/9 from Ronchidos di sotto they took them to Cason dell'Alta.
The German soldier, of Polish origin, made me go down the three steps from outside the house in Ronchidos di sotto and made me go to the basement to collect charcoal for the stoves with a basket, but I wanted to go to Cason dell'Alta instead, together with the others, among whom I had seen one of my brothers.
I filled the basket with charcoal and took it to the soldier, who began to hit the basket with small kicks, knocking it over and forcing me to return to fill it with charcoal.
And so for several times.
I wanted to go to my brother, but the soldier held me tight and prevented me from joining the others I saw passing the house, and so I had to stay in Ronchidos below.
Then the soldier, who might have been 35 to 40 years old, showed me a picture of a little boy who was 3 or 4 years old. I think it was his son.
I was normally in Ronchidos di sopra, but on 29/9 I was in Ronchidos di sotto in which I also saw Vanni and saw going toward Cason dell'Alta , a group of 30/35 people including the Lodi family.
Then I heard the shots and saw the smoke from the haystack that was burning.
Later, towards evening, the Pole - who did not speak Italian - pointed to the door with his hand and with hand gestures signaled me to get out and leave;and so I did and was saved.”
Version told to me verbally by Mr. Marino, in my abode in Gaggio Montano, while big tears kept falling from his eyes, wetting his jacket.
Seeing his suffering and noticing his sadness in remembering the painful details, I invited him several times to suspend the tale, but he told me in Gaggese dialect, that these things he wanted to tell me and weeping he continued to speak.
Gathering this testimony, told to me in simple and heartfelt dialect words, caused in me a sincere participation in Mr. Marino's grief.
I was about to cry myself!
I was deeply affected, also because in those days at the end of September 1944 with my family I was in the little house at Poggio and we all heard the gunshots, the bullets hissing and the acrid smell of human flesh that was burning.
It was Nazi retaliation.