Muratori Gino & Pina

Muratori, Gino Muratori, Pina Gino Muratori was a rope merchant who lived in Ravenna. He had no interest in politics, and was not affiliated with any political party. On a family holiday in 1943, he became acquainted with the Jewish Finzi and Rimini families, and their relationship developed to such an extent that Muratori offered to help his friends if the need ever arose. On September 16, 1943, relatives of the Finzi and Rimini families in Bolzano were arrested and deported to the east. This was the catalyst for the Rimini and Finzi family members – old and young, parents and children, aunts, uncles, and cousins – to seek a secure hiding place. The 11 family members – Enzo Finzi (b. 1895), Nella Finzi née Rimini (b. 1904), Cesare Finzi (b. 1930, today a professor of cardiology and former president of the Ferrara Jewish community), Manlio Finzi (b. 1934), Giuseppe Rimini (b. 1907), Lina Arenghi in Rimini (b. 1907), Cesare Rimini (b. 1932), Mariella Rebecchi née Rimini (b. 1934), Silvana Rimini (b. 1937), Graziana Rimini Vedova Delfini (b. 1938) and Guido Vivanti (birth date unknown) – planned to flee south, staying in hotels along the way. However, they were unable to secure accommodation and, recalling the selfless offer of help by Muratori, made their way to his home in Ravenna. The refugees were warmly received by Gino, his wife Pina and their three daughters, who insisted they spend the night. The next day, the Rimini and Finzi families continued their journey south, despite the Muratoris’ kind offer for them to stay longer. The generous assistance extended to the Finzi and Rimini families did not, however, end there. During their journey southwards, Gino helped them on two separate occasions to move between safe havens. He also opened up his home at least once a month to Giuseppe Rimini, to meet up with relatives from Mantova who had no way of returning home late at night. In addition, the Muratoris gave shelter to the Jewish families'grandmothers, Maria Cantoni Vedova D’Angeli (b. 1878) and Ada Rocca Vedova Finzi (b. 1872), when they fled their hometown of Ferrara en route for Gabicce, where they were to receive forged identity papers. Besides providing the much-needed shelter, and despite the imminent danger of his acts, Gino also transferred money and warm winter clothing to the fleeing families, and procured legal aid for their commercial business. On January 14, 2007, Yad Vashem recognized Gino and Pina Muratori as Righteous Among the Nations.