Michael’s answer to “Is Pino Lella still living? What a marvelous book.” > Likes and Comments
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Very fine book. And tell your father he is an inspiration and an exceptional human being. I wish to meet him someday a day and thank him personally.
Thank You Parag. I'Just told him and he is honored and flattered.
I just finished the book through tears and inspiration. Please thank your father me for sharing the story.
Finished the book this weekend and bought a copy for my mom. LOVED it and am so glad the story has been shared
I just finished the book and I love it! What a remarkable story about a tremendous hero. God bless your father.
Just finished this book! Amazing story of love and courage! I’m a 62 year old man and it left me in tears. Won’t forget Pinos story!
My heart pounded, I cried, I felt pride, sorrow and remorse. This book came alive for me.
I had several late nights reading this compelling story!
thanks Steve and Connie!
Mark Sullivan deserves the credit for all of this...
My dad did what he was told and happened to be in the right place at the right place at the right time including meeting Sullivan.
We are too!!!!!!!
We couldn't be in better hands for a movie.
Amy Pascal and her production company has a fantastic reputation.
Woohoo!!! So glad there is a movie.... his story is so incredible. Honestly can't believe this all happened... he was so incredibly brave and the whole story is such an inspiration!
He claims that he was did what he was told to do, and does not see himself as a hero at all. In fact, he's embarrassed by all the attention. Certainly, he never expected his story to go anywhere when he first started talking to Mark (and for 11 years it never did).
Sorry ...''He claims the he did what he was told to do'...
"that he did what he was told to do"....darn!
Hi Michael,
I cannot but "join the crowd" in asking you to pass onto your father my wishes for his continued health and my thanks for sharing his amazing and very difficult story. I also want to thank him for doing what he did to help my people in those dark times.
Thank you!
Ori
Welcome Ori!
I'm assuming your people are some of the Italian Jews my father risked his life to help save. Those JEWS were his friends, brothers and sisters and the were "in need". To this day, for some reason, his best friends have always been Jewish...and it had nothing to do with what he did during the War...We are at present, trying to get him recognized at Yad Vashem, for the Rightous Of Nations, a long process, but worth the effort. If anything, that will be his LEGACY, not the book or movie. Mike Lella, Pino's son.
Thanks for replying :-)
My people = Jews (in general). My grandparents were from different parts of Europe. Good luck in your endeavors with Yad Vashem. He set and "example" to other people by being good and selfless and is certainly a worthy addition.
Thank you Ori Shiri.
My father considers it honor to have helped those refugees escape from Nazi persecution (although at the time he had no idea of the brutality they were running from).
Hi Michael. I am an American that lives in Milan. My family (wife and 4 boys) have been listening to the audiobook about Pino for the past two weeks and it has been amazing correlating his experiences with the real locations. Last week, we traveled to Valtelina and my boys asked me if these were "the mountains Pino climbed?". This morning, my 10 year old and I rode around Milan going to the Public Gardens, Parco Sempione, La Scalla, the old Hotel Regina, and Via Montenapoleone (which I am sure is much different than in his youth). In 2012-2015, I used to take my boys to WWII shows in Reading, PA to meet and talk to veterans and survivors of WWII so they will always have 1st hand knowledge of their experiences. If your father is up for it, we would love the opportunity to meet him, I understand this is not the normal way to introduce myself, but I thought I would try. Thank you for all!
Hello Mr. Kerper.
and thank you for your interest in meeting my father. and hearing his story in the audio book of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY. I would be more than happy to set up a meeting with my father, your wife and four boys, but currently he's staying with me in California. If and when you get this, why don't you email me personally, and I can then arrange a meeting when he returns to Italy. He enjoys the company of interested readers and I have screened several good families appointments to spend time with him and it has worked out fabulously , both for him and fans of the book. Please email me at : michaellella@yahoo.com and we can start a dialogue.
Hi Michael, I am a 93 yr. old avid reader and just finished reading of your Dad. It was an amazing story, well written and I hated to have it ended My name is Eileen and I live in Ma.
Hello Eileen and thank you for reading my father's story. So happy that you could identify with the story and I hope it brought back good memories from those days.
My father's "hat is off to you " for your continued good health and obvious excellent ability to read and comprehend. My dad is not so lucky, in that he has difficulty reading a long book anymore. Other than that, he's in good health and he wishes you the best !!!
My best to you and your Dad. I was a United States Cadet Nurse during WW2 and still have many friends who also served. We are survivers..
God Bless you Eileen.
This story is intended especially for the special survivors like yourself. You are a treasured rarity!
My father understands that and I'm sure Mark Sullivan concurs.
Michael thanks for let us know about your father!
Just finished reading the book. Fantastic story!!! After the book, I found myself google-ling to know more about the people and places. Really amazing! I was mesmerized by the number of key events your father took part on and extreme situation he had to endure.
Mark Sullivan did a great job: at the end, you really feel like being part of the people who share those moments with Pino.
I was also quite surprised to see, for the first time from american novel writer, reference to the participation of the Brazilian Forces in WWII.
My country fought in Italy not only Monte Cassino, Monte Castello, Castelnuovo, Bologna (as part of the US Fifth Army), but also in the skies of this amazing country using P47D airplanes
That is true Gustavo. Very little has ever been mentioned about the fighting forces of Brazil during the Italian Campaign of WWII. Kudos to mark Sullivan for giving credit to the brave fighting forces of the Brazilian Forces.Thank you Gusavo for reading my father's story.!
Michael tks for your answer! It meant a lot to me! I forgot to mention that your father's story has made me see things from a completely new perspective. :-D
What a captivating and inspiring book! Pino lived a full life by age 19! So sorry he had to experience such tremendous losses. I would love to see ph ...more
Thanks Bashby.
Didn't catch the rest of your comment. But yes, my father experienced a full life by 19, and those experiences of the last two years of the War had the single biggest impact on him the rest of his life.
I have read many books on the French resistance but never knew about the Italian resistance. I am amazed and stunned on so many levels. Your father's courage, as well as so many others in Italy is humbling.I could go on and on.... Has there been any new information that has come to light on General Leyers relationship with the Allies and what he actually turned over to the US? And has there ever been any information uncovered on Dolly or Anna since the book was written. I wish your father peace of mind and heart for all the days left he has on earth!
Bethnyc1,
There has been some declassified information on what General Hans Leyer turned over to the Allies, and Mark Sullivan 's research revealed that. It was mostly when and where he was during specific times. I don't believe there has been any information retrieved on the executions of Dolly and Anna, certainly none that I know of. That is a subject I never talk about with my father at this stage of his life. That would really up set him...and he's difficult enough without getting him up set. Good questions and thank you for your interest! Mike Lella , Pino's son
I am inspired to see so many other readers had the same response to this book, and to your father, Michael. I, too, found his story riveting. I wish someone had some information about Anna, or a photo, or anything to memorialize her. Your father and Anna's love for one another is gripping and continues to haunt me days after finishing the novel. Please tell your father what an amazing man I think he is, and even more so for allowing his incredible life story to be told in this book. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time, and I am an avid reader!
It's always s great to hear a comment like this from an avid reader. So much was lost from those days during the War...people like my father and many Italians in particular wanted to forget and move on...Now, looking back, we want to cherish those memories, especially the loved ones who were lost like Anna. It is a shame indeed we can't find anything to memorialize her. Thank You for mentioning how the book inspired you. We never get tired of that...
....You love him... don’t be deceived. He is a man with flaws not unlike any other man. Mark Sullivan created a Hero out of him, but he does not consider himself any better than an ordinary, confused, man of the time.... in fact, he views himself more as a “coward” than anything else....
Michael, of course Dad has flaws... we all do. But what a courageous man you are, Mr Lella.... imagine the lives you touched.. and the generations that survived because of you. May God Bless you sir
Courageous...Yes.
For two of his 92 years he did the right thing.
Wow, give thanks to the Pino Lellas of this world and be grateful we haven’t had to live through anything like that horrible time. And Michael please thank your father for finally opening his scar to Bob, I and so many people will not have had any comprehension of this aspect of the war from an Italian perspective as I’m England and the Italians were never portrayed great but your fathers story had me going through so many emotions whilst listening to it late in the night when I should of been sleeping and too find that a film is being made, I got thinking how they could fit it all into a couple of hours but I really can’t wait to find out, it reminded me of the film Hacksaw Ridge and how that fella saved so many people through his faith and your father also thoughout extreme situations they prevailed and walked out to finally tell there tales, I’m going to make plans to visit Milan in the summer and will hopefully pop in and see the great man, Does he still ski?
Also had a good listen of Pavarottis Nessum Dorma and got goose bumps thinking of your grandfather playing Andy his friend singing, Ill appreciate it all the more for knowing that story, how did it make your father feel when it was used in the Italian World Cup in 1990?
Hello Tom and thank you for your comment. My dad's story has a way of touching souls like yours and I am honored that your heart has been touched. My dad is almost 92 now and for years he tried to forget the nightmare of his last two years of the War. This story and the success of Beneath A Scarlet Sky's impact on my Dad is still in progress and we're not sure how it will impact him emotionally. I had him stay with me for three months, and clearly, with the on-set of cognitive and normal dementia, he has good days and bad days. Unfortunately, the bad days are getting more numerous, and when it's bad, it's terrible. My father on those days gets angry, aggressive and negative. A total contrast to his jovial personality. H e has the appearance of being in good physical shape, but he's lost a significant amount of weight, refuses to eat normally and gets dehydrated frequently. He thinks he could still ski, but while he was here with me he fell down at least five times just out doing mild hikes. The aging process will affect us all in one way or the other, and my dad, who was quite an athlete, is no exception.
So sorry to hear that Michael, I have a great uncle who is 87 and served in the SAS for many years and we think he may have dementia, so we are making sure he’s having more care as he lives in husband own in the middle of no where nearly 200 miles from family, so I spend as much time up there with my dog to give him company and help him out, he hasn’t told us his stories of his time in the services many of his compatriots have penned books but he never has, I get the odd bit of information but he’s quite deaf and now more forgetful.
My Nan is going to move up there to look after him and she’s 85, so I’ll get them both to open up to some stories of there past as once we’re gone all our stories and memories go with us. So thank god for YouTube that once were dear our words can live on.
A lot of fortuitous events had to come to pass to get your dads story out but so so glad it did.
Keep well Michael also have you heard of Grounding or Earthing it simply getting in touch with the earth as we once used to be could be by walking bare foot on the grass or in the sea but also by a special Grounding sheet that you sleep on and just plug into a socket, I’ve got one for my dad and am ordering one for my uncle as it hasn’t good effects on the body and helps with sleep and a lot of other ailments, there is some skepticism about it but easily believable that we’re more ill as were not in touch with the earth since we put non insulating rubber under our feet Andrew nearly are 100% of the time not connecting with the earth, and the sheets are £80 and it’s helping my dad sleep so if that’s the only benefit it’s worth it but the studies show it has a very good effect all over the body.
Look into it might be something that helps your dad whilst he’s goinng through this struggle in his life.
Tom
Very interesting Tom. Thank you for the information about the Grounding and Earthing...makes sense.
Hi Michael, I am always in awe of people like your father who risked their lives to help others during the war. My question related to the people he helped over the Alps into Switzerland. Has he ever found out what happened to them? Did they survive the war? Did they go on to have families? If so, there could be hundreds of people out there who owe their lives to your father and his incredible bravery. Please tell your father that, as a Jewish woman, I thank him for being a shining light in one of the darkest times in human history.
Thank You so much Leigh.
Great question! We are hoping someone he helped save, even a relative, will come out of the woodworks. Problem is that these people were given new identities, papers and my father cannot possibly remember their names. He was 17 at the time, and most of his refugees were older, long gone by now. Now that his story is getting exposure, someone, a granddaughter or grandson may come forth to mention how one or both of their grandparent's were brought to safety over the Alps into Switzerland by a young 17 year old from Casa Alpina. We're waiting and hopeful.
Thanks Michael. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.
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message 51:
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Parag
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Oct 02, 2017 01:29AM
Very fine book. And tell your father he is an inspiration and an exceptional human being. I wish to meet him someday a day and thank him personally.
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Thank You Parag. I'Just told him and he is honored and flattered.
I just finished the book through tears and inspiration. Please thank your father me for sharing the story.
Finished the book this weekend and bought a copy for my mom. LOVED it and am so glad the story has been shared
I just finished the book and I love it! What a remarkable story about a tremendous hero. God bless your father.
Just finished this book! Amazing story of love and courage! I’m a 62 year old man and it left me in tears. Won’t forget Pinos story!
My heart pounded, I cried, I felt pride, sorrow and remorse. This book came alive for me.
I had several late nights reading this compelling story!
thanks Steve and Connie!Mark Sullivan deserves the credit for all of this...
My dad did what he was told and happened to be in the right place at the right place at the right time including meeting Sullivan.
We are too!!!!!!!We couldn't be in better hands for a movie.
Amy Pascal and her production company has a fantastic reputation.
Woohoo!!! So glad there is a movie.... his story is so incredible. Honestly can't believe this all happened... he was so incredibly brave and the whole story is such an inspiration!
He claims that he was did what he was told to do, and does not see himself as a hero at all. In fact, he's embarrassed by all the attention. Certainly, he never expected his story to go anywhere when he first started talking to Mark (and for 11 years it never did).
Sorry ...''He claims the he did what he was told to do'...
"that he did what he was told to do"....darn!
Hi Michael,I cannot but "join the crowd" in asking you to pass onto your father my wishes for his continued health and my thanks for sharing his amazing and very difficult story. I also want to thank him for doing what he did to help my people in those dark times.
Thank you!
Ori
Welcome Ori!I'm assuming your people are some of the Italian Jews my father risked his life to help save. Those JEWS were his friends, brothers and sisters and the were "in need". To this day, for some reason, his best friends have always been Jewish...and it had nothing to do with what he did during the War...We are at present, trying to get him recognized at Yad Vashem, for the Rightous Of Nations, a long process, but worth the effort. If anything, that will be his LEGACY, not the book or movie. Mike Lella, Pino's son.
Thanks for replying :-)My people = Jews (in general). My grandparents were from different parts of Europe. Good luck in your endeavors with Yad Vashem. He set and "example" to other people by being good and selfless and is certainly a worthy addition.
Thank you Ori Shiri.My father considers it honor to have helped those refugees escape from Nazi persecution (although at the time he had no idea of the brutality they were running from).
Hi Michael. I am an American that lives in Milan. My family (wife and 4 boys) have been listening to the audiobook about Pino for the past two weeks and it has been amazing correlating his experiences with the real locations. Last week, we traveled to Valtelina and my boys asked me if these were "the mountains Pino climbed?". This morning, my 10 year old and I rode around Milan going to the Public Gardens, Parco Sempione, La Scalla, the old Hotel Regina, and Via Montenapoleone (which I am sure is much different than in his youth). In 2012-2015, I used to take my boys to WWII shows in Reading, PA to meet and talk to veterans and survivors of WWII so they will always have 1st hand knowledge of their experiences. If your father is up for it, we would love the opportunity to meet him, I understand this is not the normal way to introduce myself, but I thought I would try. Thank you for all!
Hello Mr. Kerper.and thank you for your interest in meeting my father. and hearing his story in the audio book of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY. I would be more than happy to set up a meeting with my father, your wife and four boys, but currently he's staying with me in California. If and when you get this, why don't you email me personally, and I can then arrange a meeting when he returns to Italy. He enjoys the company of interested readers and I have screened several good families appointments to spend time with him and it has worked out fabulously , both for him and fans of the book. Please email me at : michaellella@yahoo.com and we can start a dialogue.
Hi Michael, I am a 93 yr. old avid reader and just finished reading of your Dad. It was an amazing story, well written and I hated to have it ended My name is Eileen and I live in Ma.
Hello Eileen and thank you for reading my father's story. So happy that you could identify with the story and I hope it brought back good memories from those days.
My father's "hat is off to you " for your continued good health and obvious excellent ability to read and comprehend. My dad is not so lucky, in that he has difficulty reading a long book anymore. Other than that, he's in good health and he wishes you the best !!!
My best to you and your Dad. I was a United States Cadet Nurse during WW2 and still have many friends who also served. We are survivers..
God Bless you Eileen.This story is intended especially for the special survivors like yourself. You are a treasured rarity!
My father understands that and I'm sure Mark Sullivan concurs.
Michael thanks for let us know about your father!Just finished reading the book. Fantastic story!!! After the book, I found myself google-ling to know more about the people and places. Really amazing! I was mesmerized by the number of key events your father took part on and extreme situation he had to endure.
Mark Sullivan did a great job: at the end, you really feel like being part of the people who share those moments with Pino.
I was also quite surprised to see, for the first time from american novel writer, reference to the participation of the Brazilian Forces in WWII.
My country fought in Italy not only Monte Cassino, Monte Castello, Castelnuovo, Bologna (as part of the US Fifth Army), but also in the skies of this amazing country using P47D airplanes
That is true Gustavo. Very little has ever been mentioned about the fighting forces of Brazil during the Italian Campaign of WWII. Kudos to mark Sullivan for giving credit to the brave fighting forces of the Brazilian Forces.Thank you Gusavo for reading my father's story.!
Michael tks for your answer! It meant a lot to me! I forgot to mention that your father's story has made me see things from a completely new perspective. :-D
What a captivating and inspiring book! Pino lived a full life by age 19! So sorry he had to experience such tremendous losses. I would love to see ph ...more
Thanks Bashby.Didn't catch the rest of your comment. But yes, my father experienced a full life by 19, and those experiences of the last two years of the War had the single biggest impact on him the rest of his life.
I have read many books on the French resistance but never knew about the Italian resistance. I am amazed and stunned on so many levels. Your father's courage, as well as so many others in Italy is humbling.I could go on and on.... Has there been any new information that has come to light on General Leyers relationship with the Allies and what he actually turned over to the US? And has there ever been any information uncovered on Dolly or Anna since the book was written. I wish your father peace of mind and heart for all the days left he has on earth!
Bethnyc1,There has been some declassified information on what General Hans Leyer turned over to the Allies, and Mark Sullivan 's research revealed that. It was mostly when and where he was during specific times. I don't believe there has been any information retrieved on the executions of Dolly and Anna, certainly none that I know of. That is a subject I never talk about with my father at this stage of his life. That would really up set him...and he's difficult enough without getting him up set. Good questions and thank you for your interest! Mike Lella , Pino's son
I am inspired to see so many other readers had the same response to this book, and to your father, Michael. I, too, found his story riveting. I wish someone had some information about Anna, or a photo, or anything to memorialize her. Your father and Anna's love for one another is gripping and continues to haunt me days after finishing the novel. Please tell your father what an amazing man I think he is, and even more so for allowing his incredible life story to be told in this book. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time, and I am an avid reader!
It's always s great to hear a comment like this from an avid reader. So much was lost from those days during the War...people like my father and many Italians in particular wanted to forget and move on...Now, looking back, we want to cherish those memories, especially the loved ones who were lost like Anna. It is a shame indeed we can't find anything to memorialize her. Thank You for mentioning how the book inspired you. We never get tired of that...
....You love him... don’t be deceived. He is a man with flaws not unlike any other man. Mark Sullivan created a Hero out of him, but he does not consider himself any better than an ordinary, confused, man of the time.... in fact, he views himself more as a “coward” than anything else....
Michael, of course Dad has flaws... we all do. But what a courageous man you are, Mr Lella.... imagine the lives you touched.. and the generations that survived because of you. May God Bless you sir
Courageous...Yes. For two of his 92 years he did the right thing.
Wow, give thanks to the Pino Lellas of this world and be grateful we haven’t had to live through anything like that horrible time. And Michael please thank your father for finally opening his scar to Bob, I and so many people will not have had any comprehension of this aspect of the war from an Italian perspective as I’m England and the Italians were never portrayed great but your fathers story had me going through so many emotions whilst listening to it late in the night when I should of been sleeping and too find that a film is being made, I got thinking how they could fit it all into a couple of hours but I really can’t wait to find out, it reminded me of the film Hacksaw Ridge and how that fella saved so many people through his faith and your father also thoughout extreme situations they prevailed and walked out to finally tell there tales, I’m going to make plans to visit Milan in the summer and will hopefully pop in and see the great man, Does he still ski?
Also had a good listen of Pavarottis Nessum Dorma and got goose bumps thinking of your grandfather playing Andy his friend singing, Ill appreciate it all the more for knowing that story, how did it make your father feel when it was used in the Italian World Cup in 1990?
Hello Tom and thank you for your comment. My dad's story has a way of touching souls like yours and I am honored that your heart has been touched. My dad is almost 92 now and for years he tried to forget the nightmare of his last two years of the War. This story and the success of Beneath A Scarlet Sky's impact on my Dad is still in progress and we're not sure how it will impact him emotionally. I had him stay with me for three months, and clearly, with the on-set of cognitive and normal dementia, he has good days and bad days. Unfortunately, the bad days are getting more numerous, and when it's bad, it's terrible. My father on those days gets angry, aggressive and negative. A total contrast to his jovial personality. H e has the appearance of being in good physical shape, but he's lost a significant amount of weight, refuses to eat normally and gets dehydrated frequently. He thinks he could still ski, but while he was here with me he fell down at least five times just out doing mild hikes. The aging process will affect us all in one way or the other, and my dad, who was quite an athlete, is no exception.
So sorry to hear that Michael, I have a great uncle who is 87 and served in the SAS for many years and we think he may have dementia, so we are making sure he’s having more care as he lives in husband own in the middle of no where nearly 200 miles from family, so I spend as much time up there with my dog to give him company and help him out, he hasn’t told us his stories of his time in the services many of his compatriots have penned books but he never has, I get the odd bit of information but he’s quite deaf and now more forgetful.My Nan is going to move up there to look after him and she’s 85, so I’ll get them both to open up to some stories of there past as once we’re gone all our stories and memories go with us. So thank god for YouTube that once were dear our words can live on.
A lot of fortuitous events had to come to pass to get your dads story out but so so glad it did.
Keep well Michael also have you heard of Grounding or Earthing it simply getting in touch with the earth as we once used to be could be by walking bare foot on the grass or in the sea but also by a special Grounding sheet that you sleep on and just plug into a socket, I’ve got one for my dad and am ordering one for my uncle as it hasn’t good effects on the body and helps with sleep and a lot of other ailments, there is some skepticism about it but easily believable that we’re more ill as were not in touch with the earth since we put non insulating rubber under our feet Andrew nearly are 100% of the time not connecting with the earth, and the sheets are £80 and it’s helping my dad sleep so if that’s the only benefit it’s worth it but the studies show it has a very good effect all over the body.
Look into it might be something that helps your dad whilst he’s goinng through this struggle in his life.
Tom
Very interesting Tom. Thank you for the information about the Grounding and Earthing...makes sense.
Hi Michael, I am always in awe of people like your father who risked their lives to help others during the war. My question related to the people he helped over the Alps into Switzerland. Has he ever found out what happened to them? Did they survive the war? Did they go on to have families? If so, there could be hundreds of people out there who owe their lives to your father and his incredible bravery. Please tell your father that, as a Jewish woman, I thank him for being a shining light in one of the darkest times in human history.
Thank You so much Leigh.Great question! We are hoping someone he helped save, even a relative, will come out of the woodworks. Problem is that these people were given new identities, papers and my father cannot possibly remember their names. He was 17 at the time, and most of his refugees were older, long gone by now. Now that his story is getting exposure, someone, a granddaughter or grandson may come forth to mention how one or both of their grandparent's were brought to safety over the Alps into Switzerland by a young 17 year old from Casa Alpina. We're waiting and hopeful.
Thanks Michael. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.
