Pretti Felice & Giuseppina (Gusmano)

Pretti, Felice Pretti-Gusmano, Giuseppina In 1942, due to heavy bombardment of Turin, the local Jewish orphanage, containing 16 children between the ages of 7 and 15, was transferred to Casale Monferrato. Emanuele Pacifici, b.1931, son of the Chief Rabbi of Genoa, Riccardo Pacifici, was among them. He was at that time studing at the Jewish school in Turin. The director of the orphanage, Mrs. Gioconda Carmi, resumed her duties at the new location, a community building next to the local synagogue. A local woman in her thirties, Giuseppina Pretti (née Gusmano) married to Felice was hired for the cleaning of the new facility. One morning, on September 29, 1943, after the German occupation of the area, Giuseppina hurried to Gioconda Carmi, informing her that she had just heard that the SS had learned of the Jewish children’s presence and that they would come to arrest all of them. She urged that they all escape at once. When Gioconda answered that she did not know where to hide, Giuseppina did not hesitate and said that “they all should come and hide at her home”. To avoid suspicion, the children were organized in small groups, choosing different routes, and by 7 pm hours all had reached her home. Later, at 10 pm, a cart arrived with mattresses, blankets and kitchenware. The children cooperated in turning Giuseppina’s living room into a bedroom. The children and the staff of the orphanage numbered altogether 20 persons, all crowding into the small house. Emanuele, in his memoir, Non ti voltare (Do not turn back), recalled Giuseppina’s husband, good-hearted Felice, who extended help to the children. Giuseppina’s daughter, Dirce Pretti (later, Bargero), then 10 years old, was also a pupil at the orphanage. She recalled that the neighbors protested at first, but later collaborated with the Prettis. The children stayed at the Prettis’ for 4-5 days and then were sent to their relatives in order to join them at safer hiding places. In 1961, Giuseppina Pretti was wardeda gold medal by the Jewish community of Turin. On October 11, 2000, Yad Vashem recognized Felice Pretti and Giuseppina Gusmano-Pretti as Righteous Among the Nations.