Nicola Fierro (6-30-1923 to 2-2-2015)

Nicola Fierro was born June 30, 1923 in the San Giovanni section of Andretta, Italy in the Province of Avellino to parents Francesco Fierro and Rosa Tellone. He was the eldest of six siblings Mario, Giuseppina, Donato, Marietta, and Ettore; husband of Angela; father of Francesco, Antonio and Giuseppe; father-in law of Rosalie, Antoinette, and Josephine; Grandfather of Angela, Nicholas, Frank, Regina, Ashley, Johny, Melissa, Cristina and Nicole and Tom(Angela’s husband); and Great Grandfather of Alexandra and Juliette.
He went to school from the age of six until fifth grade, and then he began his full time apprenticeship as a carpenter with his father. At age 12 he contracted Malaria and was in bed for over two years and beat it with the help of his Uncle Giovanni who got help for him. After he got better he continued his apprenticeship as a carpenter with his father making many doors and cabinets for the people of his home town and neighboring towns.
On January 19, 1943 he was drafted into to the army to fight in World War 2 and stationed in Trieste in Northern Italy. During the War he escaped death many times and was injured by shrapnel that struck his right leg. During a short leave that was granted to him from the help of his father and a lady his father had met that knew the Colonel of his platoon, his platoon went to battle and most of them did not make it.
On September 8, 1943, when the Germans were no longer allies with the Italians, he was taken as a prisoner to a Nazi Concentration Camp in the outskirts of Poland. He worked in the camp digging trenches for the soldiers and large areas for the dead bodies of all of the millions of people that were killed. He was given very little to eat and very little clothing. His weight had reduced to 35 kilograms (77lbs) by May of 1945. At the 33 kilograms cut-off, the prisoners were taken to the cremation ovens. The American soldiers rescued him and the survivors before his weight reduced any further. He recuperated in an Italian American camp for several months before he was able to return to his family. His family had thought that he had perished since they had not received news from him for many years.
On December 22, 1948 he married Angela who was also from the same San Giovanni section of Andretta. During the first four years of marriage Nicola worked in Rome on a large farm estate doing work as a carpenter and painter for the housing of the farm workers. He also continued to work as a carpenter in his home town where he would travel back and forth. He later went on to work in Switzerland, first as a carpenter and then in an asphalt plant with his brother Mario. He worked in Switzerland as a migrant worker for twenty-one seasons.
In August 1967 he went off to Venezuela to work as a carpenter with his brother Donato who moved there in the early 1960's. After spending a year and a half he returned back to his hometown in Italy to be with his family in 1968. In 1971 with the help of his brother Ettore migrated with his entire family to the United States to the Edenwald section of the Bronx. In the US he first worked as a carpenter and laborer with his brother Ettore for a construction company run by Vincent Grimaldi until 1979. In 1973 he moved with his family to the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx where he bought a two family home. In 1979 with the help of a friend from his home town got a job with the Union 32 B/J working as a janitor in the Parson School of Design in Manhattan. There he worked for many years doing two shifts to support his family and send his sons to colleges. At night he would do janitorial work and in the day carpentry and painting. He worked there until 1992 when he retired from the Union at age of 69. He continued working with his brother Ettore in his construction company on carpentry projects for many years after into his late seventies. He lived in Throggs Neck for the remainder of his life.
He was a very proud man who loved his family very much. He was a loyal, honest, respectful, hardworking man who survived many battles in his life and fought for his life until the end, but now is in a better place.
He is survived by his wife Angela, sons Frank, Anthony, Joseph; daughter-in-laws Rosalie, Antoinette, Josephine; grandchildren Angela, Nicholas, Frank, Regina, Ashley, Giovanni, Melissa, Cristina, Nicole and Tom; great grandchildren Alexandra and Juliette.

Written bye Joseph Fierro

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