Casini Leto

Casini, Don Leto Don Leto Casini was born in Cornacchiaia, on the outskirts of Fiorenzuola in 1902. He served as the parish priest in Varlungo and together with Father Cipriano Ricotti* was involved in a rescue network run by the Jewish-Christian aid committee in Florence, headed by Rabbi Dr. Nathan Cassuto (until his arrest in late November). The archbishop of Florence, Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa granted Casini and Ricotti letters of introducion to the heads of the religious institutions, enabling them to open their gates to hundreds of foreign Jews who escaped from France, and were now in town and in danger of being arrested and deported. The rescue operation was financed by the Joint (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) through messsengers of Delasem from Switzerland. By November 1943, the members of the committee dispersed, but the work continued by those who remained in Florence. On November 26, in the middle of a meeting held at the seat of the Azione Cattolica in via Pucci, the SS entered and arrested most of the Jews who were present there. Don Leto Casini was arrested too but he never revealed any information on the rescue operation. He was released through the Cardinal’s intervention, but had to promise not to be involved in the future in helping Jews. Nevertheless, he still continued his work, despite the risks. He made sure that those who needed him could find him. His memoire was published in the book, Ricordi di un vecchio prete (1986). On December 14, 1965, Yad Vashem recognized Don Leto Casini as Righteous Among the Nations.