Born in Caltagirone on December 10, 1896, the second youngest of a large family of artisans, he was educated at the school of Father G. Sagone and at the Salesian "Don Bosco" youth club. He fought in the First World War, during which he was taken prisoner and decorated for valor. He graduated in literature in 1920 and was among the first militants of the PPI (Italian Communist Party). In 1922, he was president of the newly formed Diocesan Catholic Youth Society. In 1924, he married Tanina Colaleo, with whom he had ten children. He devoted himself with passion and rigor to teaching classics in Piazza Armerina, where he collaborated with Bishop Sturzo and founded the first Conference of St. Vincent, and at the "B. Secusio" High School in Caltagirone. A Franciscan tertiary, president of the Union of Men of AC (1926-33) and of the GIAC (1933-44), he courageously defended AC's full freedom of educational action during the grim era of the fascist regime. He was among the organizers of the First Diocesan Catechetical Congress of 1936 and the Third Regional Eucharistic Congress of 1937, events unpopular with local leaders, who saw them as a challenge to the regime. Because of his well-known anti-fascist views, he was kept under surveillance and threatened with dismissal because he stubbornly refused to hold a National Fascist Party membership card, displayed his AC badge in public, and wore the uniform of a Royal Army officer during regime parades, refusing to wear the hated black shirt. In 1942, at the recommendation of Bishop Capizzi, he was named Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester by Pius XII. In 1946-47, he was president of the AC diocesan council. In the immediate postwar period, he was among the driving forces behind the "Croce di Costantino" group, of which he also served as director, and was known for his lively and biting wit. In 1947-48, he was secretary of the first DC branch in Caltagirone and a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies in 1948. He was a municipal administrator in Caltagirone and president of the party's council group. In the harsh political and administrative battles of those years, he stood out for his moral intransigence, which led him to denounce abuses and illegalities. In the 1960s and 70s, he was president of the Civic Committees, engaging in various campaigns for the moralization of public life and the defense of Christian principles. He died in Caltagirone on 11 October 1981. On his tomb is engraved the Pauline saying that was dear to him: “Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi” (2 Tim 4,7).
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