Michael’s answer to “Is Pino Lella still living? What a marvelous book.” > Likes and Comments

So glad I got through Leigh. I like to answer all questions, I'm just not sure how to get to everybody.

Hi Micheal, is there any way to meet your father? I would love to talk to him. I will be in Milan in June.

Not sure Tejal.
Why don't you contact me as we get closer to June and we'll see how he's doing. He's going through a difficult transition with all of this notoriety and at 92, with the on-set of dementia, he's becoming less willing to be in public. It boils down to a lack of confidence in himself anymore...memory fading, mood swings, anxiety, anger...etc, etc...

..

Michael: I am sorry to disrupt your family's private time. I was moved beyond words by your father's truly incredible story. I wanted to write him a letter, but don't know if that would be intrusive. I was hoping to send him an original of the novel to have him sign it for me, but you tell me if that's asking too much. my email is jleolev@aol.com. If any of this isn't too intrusive, kindly contact me via email. I live in the US. Jane

Best book I have ever read! Thank you for your family sharing this story!

How sweet of you Jane...but Mark Sullivan deserves the bulk of the credit. I've assisted him along the way and filled in some gaps that pertained to family. Man Dad ironically, never mentioned much about his very own brother Mimmo. The brother love and hate dynamic there was interesting, and I can take credit for introducing that to the story...Mark is the genius who put it all together and you should be thanking him.

I will definitely send credit to him as well! It was a joy to read and be able to capture a piece of history and the true human heart!

Thank You Jaclyn. We take that to heart!

Thank you so much to Pino Lella for opening up about his involvement, and to Michael Sullivan for his thorough investigation and writing his story so well. I never found history to be an interesting subject in school and reading this book has been a giant eye-opener into why we must continue to learn it. That doesn't begin to cover how important this book is.
I began reading this book and find it helped me understand my own father. He enlisted in the US army just as he finished medical school, at age 20-21. I know from a picture that he spent at least one winter in Florence, Italy during WWII. He died in 2000, without ever saying much at all about his experience in war as a medic. Pino's later in life sharing has affected me deeply, and now I feel I can understand my dad's reluctance, not only as an attempt to spare me, but also because of his own deep feelings. He went on to be a fine, gentle, caring surgeon, but kept his war memories inside. Please thank Pino, Michael, for all he did, and for letting us into his heart.

I am Italian my mother and father born in northern Italy , we have some stories from the war but nothing like this ! I would love to meet your father is it possible?

Were are you living Lenora? It is possible, but getting more difficult on account of the enormous publicity he's getting. He is becoming more reclusive as he ages. He has never sought the fame and is increasingly wanting more privacy as his dementia and lack of confidence in being able to carry out discussions get worse. He has good days and bad ones. When they are bad, he can be an embarrassment to himself, therefore he shines away from dealing with the public.

Hi Mr Lella. I have sent you an email to discuss a meet and greet with my boys before we leave Italy in March, but if your father is wanting his privacy, no problem. It is wonderful to see how kind you are on these very informal message boards. Thanks. Phil

Dear Phil,
I have arranged informal meetings with my dad and passer-bye American tourists, who were fans of the book. These meetings have worked out well so far, but this was back in June way before the media started touting his story. Now he is over-whelmed. Reporters and photographers are showing up in his village unannounced and he can no longer distinguish professional shark-hounding reporters from the ordinary good -hearted family person who would just like to sit down and share a coffee with him in the Piazza.


As mentioned, his dementia is increasing and so is his "paranoia". Right or wrong, my father is still worried about Fascist and Nazi reprisals. His memory is fading and he struggles to remember places and names that he so clearly remembered just a year ago. This has brought about a "lack of self-confidence" and he is increasingly becoming more reclusive. Let me know a week before your travel to Italy, and I'll see where he stands emotionally for a visit. At this stage in his life, we'll have to make that call on a day-by-day basis.

It is my honor to speak with all of those who have been touched by my father's story. Especially the good families who are traveling through Italy and would like nothing more than to spend some quality time with my dad. If he's in the right mood...there's nothing better for him than to mingle and socialize with friends.

Hi Mr Lella. I live in Milan (until March 7) and we could be there in about 1.5 hrs on any weekend day. My children attend school during the week. Thanks Phil

Interesting. I lived in Milan from the sixth grade through high school. Are your kids attending the American School Of Milan? I graduated there in 1971.

Yes. We goto ASM. Small small world! We live in Porta Venezia right near Giardini Publici. Right up the road from Via Montenapelone

Incredible.
We lived on Viale Maino (spelt two dirfferent ways), just off of Porta Venezia !!! Did you know that the Diana Hotel , on Viale Piave was used as the American Command ! Back in the day, the school was called ACSM (American Community School of Milan)...My grandparents moved from Via Montenapoleone to Corso Mateotti #8 (formally Corso Del L'Itorio). The store was located on Via San Pietro All Orto 11...
Why don't you email me personally at michaellella@yahoo.com and we can certainly make some sort of arrangement for you to meet with my dad before you leave Italy.....

Just finished this extraordinary book... I had to keep reminding myself that Pino was a real person who lived through momentous times, not just a fictional character. Delighted to hear he is still alive & well...
Michael Lella, if you see this, will you thank your father, not only for his heroic & brave actions during the war, but for opening his scarred heart to tell his story.
He obviously did not emerge unscathed but I’m happy he has peace now & has his children in his life.
I will be thinking about all I have read for some time to come.
Best wishes, Gwen Page

I will never forget this book! An incredible man and hero with an incredible story!

To Gwen and Connie!
I am following your comments and I will pass it on to my father. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and accolades to my father, but don't forget to thank Mark Sullivan, for whom without him, the story would never have been told.

Yes, a very good point! It’s a tribute to Mark that I was so caught up in his telling that I forgot about him! He did such a good job in disappearing as the author while highlighting his subject. Great job Mark Sullivan & thank you so much for all your hard work, research, perseverance & tenacity in telling this story to the world.

I was so moved by this book. I have cried, I have cheered at times exhausted by the story. I kept telling myself, "Pino lives, Pino lives". Blessing to him, his family and Mark Sullivan.

Hi Mr Lella. I sent you a private message from philkerper@yahoo,com Hope things work out!

Hello Frances.
I send you a personal email. Thanks for your passion about my dad's story and taking the time to comment.

I just finished reading this story of your father's personal account of his life during the war. I cannot imagine how very proud you must feel of his service. We are all grateful that he shared his memories. I myself am a very proud daughter of a WWII Veteran who was in Italy during that time. Please wish your father well and tell him I said, "Thank you."

Thank you Elaine.
Of course I am proud, but I am also honored and proud to hear from the daughter of a Veteran who fought there as well. To me, the hero's of the that campaign were the American GI's ..they were the one's who Liberated the Italians, including my father.

Thank you so much for honoring our veterans. Your kind words meant very much to me.

My life is better for having read this book and learning about a hero like your father. God Bless him! Tell him he has a fan all the way in a small town in India who will always take inspiration from him

I haven't finished the book, I can't stop thinking in the story while I'm working away from the marvelous life of Pino. Michael, thank him for being a so kind spirit. People like him makes this world a better place.

Dear Kaajal.
so impressed to hear of all the intelligent and intellectual readers coming from India. God Bless you ! And know that there were many brave countrymen from India who fought against the Nazi's to help liberate Italy. We won't ever forget! Thank YOu for reading my father's story. He is touched by your comment.
Mike Lella,. Pino's son.

Dear Enrique.
I did pass on your comment to my father this morning.
Thank you for the kind thoughts. The mini-series about the book will be forthcoming and I hope it will do the story justice...Thank you Enrique!

I am only on chapter 32. I had to take a break. After reading about Anna, I feel like my heart was ripped out. I haven't had a book make me so emotional before. I will finish it. Your father is an amazing man. Tell him I am grateful he shared his story. I can’t remember learning about WW2 and Italy in school. I will be sharing this book with my daughters in a few years. It is definitely a story that needs to be retold again and again. The picture of him in the book looks so similar to my brother. I had to look a few times. I am in love with the people in this book. Your uncle seems like such an amazing man as well. I have so many emotions about this book. I have so much I want to say but the words just are not there. To be able to meet him would be an honor. Please, let him know that I am truly grateful to be reading his story.

Michael Lella - your father is an inspiration ! I loved this book, and his story is amazing . You must be very proud !

Hi Darlene.
My father's War experiences were certainly inspiring. They did however have an effect on him for the rest of his life. There was some PTSD as you can imagine, although never officially diagnosed. He carried the ghost's of his past for many years and it had a negative impact in family relations...Proud...Yes .

Hi again Michael, your comment to Darlene highlights what I also picked up on towards the end of the book... the enduring effects of PTSD. Yes, your father had an amazing life but it cost him, & his loved ones, much. That is reality & can often be discounted when one only remembers the extraordinary. It is sad that so many man have endured the horrors of war with no support or understanding later. It is an important fact to note. Thank you.

I can only imagine how your father’s PTSD affected him. I’m so sorry that it also impacted your family.

Dear Darlene and Gwen,
Thank you for your understanding of PTSD and how it has impacted my father like so many other Veteran's of WWII....I'm 65 years old now, and to my knowledge, I have not allowed my father's PTSD affect my life anymore. One learns to forgive and forget things that are out of his control.... Mike Lella

So glad you were able to work it out and forgive .
And please tell your father he has many fans here in the U.S. !
Btw - do you have any info on the tv series adaptation of the book ?

Hi Darlene.
I just found out about a month ago that Pascal Productions/Sony Pictures have opted to go for a "Mini-Series" instead of a movie. At first, I was disappointed, but then they talked me into believing that it would be better because 1) they could fit more of the story into an eight to ten episode series and 2) they can actually reach out to more of the viewing public via a TV series.
Our goal has always been to get the story out to as many people world-wide as possible. Now that the book is being translated into 30 languages, the powers-that-be have decided that a TV Series is the way to reach them best...If Mark Sullivan is happy with that, so am I (and he's ecstatic ). My Dad....he could care less either way. All I know is that their still using actor Tom Holland to play the role of my father, and that he was of the ones who really pushed for the Mini Series. My Dad...he could care less.

Sorry...I was a bit redundant there....Didn't mean to say "My Dad could care less twice" but it's true. He doesn't appear to be amused or excited about a movie or a mini series. In fact, he's always enjoyed anonymity and I think he would prefer there be no movie or mini series.

Just now finished reading this book, and I have rarely ever felt so attached to and inspired by the people and events of a book. It made me laugh and it made me cry, as only a true story can. Pino you are a hero, it was my absolute pleasure and privilege to read your story. Thank you so much for sharing it, it will always stay with me x

Thanks Eva.
I will pass it on to my father. Even at 92 he's impressed with how much the female gender has been touched by his story.

Thank you, Pino and the rest of the Lella family, for sharing such a remarkable story and enlightening future generations on such an important part of history. We cannot forget what happened and owe it to those souls who either lost their lives or lived and still hold those memories inside. I am 50 years old and will hold this story in my heart and share with my grandchildren when they are old enough. Pino, your memories will live on for generations to come. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I plan to visit family in Italy someday. I will look you up for a skiing lesson. ;)

Thank you Patricia.
Your comment has touched our hearts.
Honored that you have valued my
Father’s story to the point that you would pass it onto you yourgrand children. With this kind of support, we are on our way to becoming a classic.... and our thanks go to you.

Michael, Please thank your father for sharing his incredible story for all of us to read. The trauma and the tragedy he endured was unbelievable. This story helps all of us to more fully understand the incredible strife so many people suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

Thank you Christine. I'll be glad to pass that on for you and again, thank you for your kind and considerate thoughts. You are right in noting what suffering was done at the hands of the Nazi's. We should never forget.

This was an eye-opening, amazing story and makes me wish I had paid more attention to my grandfather's stories about his time in WWII when I was little. Thank you for sharing and showing the world that it only takes one person to bring light into the darkest of times!

Well Leanne, the credit goes to Mark Sullivan. He's stunned and elated to hear all the praise for his writing. He told me the just the other day that this kind of initial interest is unprecedented...It's opened the eye's to thousands, just starting ...and we are grateful to readers like you!

Please tell your father what a big impact the story of his life had on me. My grandparents died in WW2 Germany and the book gave me a better understanding of the war. it brought tears to my eyes