Attilio Guarracino

Attilio Guarracino (1931, Ischia, Campania), is an Italo-Australian migrant who became famous in 1952 for his act of heroism which saved several people during a storm.

Biography

Guarracino's early life was one of poverty and small time criminality on the island of Ischia, Italy. In 1948 he was befriended by the American poet Chester Kallman. He later was also become friend of the Australian artist Jeffrey Smart and, soon after, of Donald Friend (1950) becoming his model and lover. In 1950 he went to London with Friend, who referred to him as his son many times in his diaries in the later years. In 1951 he agreed to accompany Friend to Australia and become soon after an Australian citizen. He briefly lived with Donald Friend at Hill End, New South Wales, where they built a studio that has become a national trust. They come to Melbourne for a holiday after six months, where Donald painted a mural called 'The Fountain of Youth' for David Wynn. They come back to Hill End to stay there quite some time. In 1953 he moved in Melbourne but after nearly a year he came back to Hill End to poison prickly pears, a hard a lonely job. After another year he moved to Melbourne where he was employed variously by the PMG, the Howard Florey Institute, as a professional fisherman and on the land as an animal technician for 27 years before working as Friend's agent in Australia between 1968 and 1976. Donald Friend left half his estate to Guarracino on his death in 1989.

In 1952 he saved three people from drowning on Port Phillip Bay during a wild winter storm. He made front page news for his act of bravery and was chosen by the Italian government as migrant of the year. This earned him a free return trip back to Italy and a meeting with the Pope. He was also given a gold medal of honour and was made a knight; he was the youngest italian to be made a knight.

His portraits may be found in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, South Australian Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Victoria, amongst others.

He is married to Ailsa, has 4 children from his first marriage, and lives in Melbourne.

ources

*"The diaries of Donald Friend", Vols. 2 & 3, edited by Anne Gray. National Library of Australia", Canberra, 2001-2003
*"Not quite straight: a memoir by Jeffrey Smart.", Port Melbourne, William Heinemann Australia, 1996.
*Attilio Guarracino.