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THE ITALIAN LEGACY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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On the evening of May 30, Uncle Antonio came home around 6:30 to tell my parents that he would be
away that night. Dad had agreed to take care of his children—Tony, Leslie, and Oscar. At approximate-
ly 11:00 p.m., Uncle Antonio called Dad to inform him that they had already accomplished their goal.
Dad and mom went over to Aunt Guachy’s house.
3
At that time, Aunt Guachy was with Doña Urania, who was from Salvador, with the children, Luichi
and her little sister,
4
and they were going to bring clean clothes to the wounded executioners, where
Dr. Durán was. Dad walked down to the offices of the Chancery of the Italian Legation. Behind these
offices is where Mario and Dirce lived.
5
Dad found Trotti, the Minister Counselor, drunk in a rocking chair with a young lady ... so he chose to
retire. Dad was an honorary consul, but he had no immunity, no diplomatic plate, or anything like that.
When he returned, Aunt Guachy had decided that the boys would stay at her house that night, because
Oscar was already fast asleep. The next day, June 2, my mother went to retrieve them, and Tony, Leslie,
and Oscar were brought to sleep at home.
The details of the day on which Uncle Antonio arrived at Uncle Julián’s house are kept by Camilito
Suero and Rhina
6
in the files of the General Archive of the Nation, which were sent to them last year.
Uncle Antonio was trying to reach the Haitian border in one of Uncle Julián’s trucks. Since this was
not possible, Uncle Antonio asked Uncle Julián to speak to Dad. Uncle Julián went home, and Dad told
him to come back at 3:00 p.m. Dad went to Mario Cavagliano and asked him to hide Uncle Antonio, as
he had done with Yuyo D’Alessandro. Mario responded, along with Dirce, “Mr. Consul, whatever you
wish!” And it should be kept in mind that Antonio Imbert had never even seen Mario!
Dad told Uncle Julián not to turn on the light in the hallway or the driveway and that he would come
in to pick him up at 7:00 p.m.
The Honorary
Consul of Italy to the
Dominican Republic,
Francisco Rainieri, in
an official event with
the Apostolic Nuncio.
© Property of the
Rainieri family