Lorenzo Rugo - June 2012
This story was told to me by my Aunt Alma who is the last surviver of the the original family and she resides in Trieste Italy:
  
During World War 2 Guido was pro-fascist and his oldest sister Amelia was a part of the Italian underground leaning toward the communists. Amelia was an active fighter around her late teens and part of a spy network closely associated with Yugoslavia's Tito. There is a recent book published in Italy about Amelia and her time during World War 2 called “My code name was IVANA”.  Amelia was also an idealist however on the opposite side of political spectrum compared to Guido. Both were fighting the same social evils of the time but each followed a separate road map that led to the same destination - prison and near death. 
 
During the mid 1940s, local Nazi secret police where desperately trying to track down who is IVANA (Amelia). They knew she operated in the Tramonti area but who was she. No one knew the true identity of IVANA. Not even her mother, two sisters or Guido knew who was IVANA. Only a long dagger in the night held firmly by the hand of IVANAs closes childhood friend will deliver IVANA to the GESTAPO and eventually to the gates of DACHAU concentration camp in Germany and sentenced to die. Guido and Amelia were on two separate roads with a common destination and neither one knew the other’s fate.

One fine morning Amelia was walking near a German soldiers barracks - not just regular German soldiers but crack SS commandos. In the air there was a fine smell of roasted chicken being cooked which was very strange in deed given there was a major shortage of live stock in the region. The only family in the Tramonti town area that had any chickens was her family - yes the Rugo family. Upon arriving home, her suspicions were confirmed. Amelia’s mother was crying at the table and said the SS came and took all the live stock at gun point. The fine german pistol of a handsome german SS officer was the convincing argument that convinced Amelia’s mother to hand over the live stock (mainly chickens).  Who was this german officer. Amelia knew immediately. This fine german SS officer was the dear husband of Amelia’s childhood friend.

Later in the day Amelia confronted her childhood friend in the town at a cafe. Amelia walked up to her childhood friend who was surrounded by other German SS officers having expresso and said - why did they (meaning the SS) take all our life stock. Now we have no food to survive. If you wanted some chickens - could you not of asked. You married the SS officer who came to our farm with gun pointed. Why did you do this - you have been family to us since birth.  Amelia’s childhood friend surrounded by her collection of SS officers barked back and said - Amelia you always said you wanted to visit Germany and study German - mark my words, I will arrange your visit to Germany soon enough!

Later that night around 5 am, the SS surrounded the Rugo farm house. The front door was broken down and a volley of SS troops rushed in the house breaking everything in sight. The SS stormed into the bedroom where Amelia, Alma, and Maria were sound a sleep. Alma and Maria, mere young girls, slept closest to the bed room door and Amelia slept nearest the open window like some organized plan that some day that window will be her only escape.  With the rush of a screaming locomotive and with flashlights in hand the German SS burst into the room tearing Alma and Maria from their bed sheets yelling: IS YOUR NAME IVANA!.

Amelia yelled in a firm and defiant voice and said - I AM IVANA !!! LEAVE MY SISTERS ALONE - THEY ARE INNOCENT!!! At that moment, the SS descended upon Amelia tearing her night gown to pieces. Beating her with out end and dragging her battered body by her feet, naked and torn out to a waiting truck. Maria yelled MAMA to which MAMA Rugo arose only to be struck in the face be the rifle of the an SS storm trooper. Broken on the ground Mama Rugo’s bloody hand stretched to the open door of the farm house and witnessed the body of Amelia tossed into the back of German truck like firewood.

Weeks later Mama Rugo asked the childhood friend of Amelia regarding the plight of her daughter Amelia. Not know to anyone at the time, it was Amelia’s childhood friend (married to the SS officer) who betrayed Amelia. She told Mama Rugo all will be Ok. She told Mama Rugo that the arrest of Amelia was a mistake and that Amelia was sent to Germany to recover and possibly study. Amelia was tortured by the Gestapo with electricity and iron rods beating without mercy on her legs. Amelia endured pain beyond comprehension but never gave the names or any information regarding her other operatives apart of the Italian underground. Amelia was soon enough was sent to Dachau to die with the Jews.

However, she did return to Mama Rugo barely weighing 40 kg, a mere skeleton, and she had a baby - origin German SS. One year later my father made it home to the farm house with his young Greek bride and baby Lucy. Amelia thereafter lived a happy life. She married a man who was Jewish I believe and who was also sent to Dachau to die. Both Amelia and her husband were together prisoners in Dachau, however they did not know of each other at the time. Amelia became a good cook however, chicken was never served. Amelia died a few years ago from the leg injuries that she endured while she was tortured by the Gestapo and the SS.