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I remember that he loved to read it in daily sequences with es, his family gathered around him, in the evening hours, sometimes by the glow of the oil lamp, in winter, when there was no electricity.His appearance was that of a person of medium size, serious and gruff in appearance, typical of the lineage of a branch of the Guccione of Alia; haughty due to a certain presumption of caste distinctionHe did not like to talk about politics, even if he let slip, in private, a certain tendency toward socialist ideology, also by part of his relatives,virtue of the past of declared alignment with the party of his brothers and part of his relatives,during the fascist era. 

Certainly, however, this ancient political vocation of the family and the refusal to join the fascist party created a negative prejudice to him to the assumption of public office in administrative state offices, which he could have accessed with the valid qualification in his  possession (at the Post Office, for example).

An eclectic man, with an original spirit and courageous initiatives, not always accompanied by adequate reflections on sound management.

This he carried out various jobs throughout his life until the age of retirement at 74: first, direct farmer; then, pastry chef; then, cereal and almond merchant; then, administrator of large estates; then, entrepreneur in a general partnership in  the branch of the industry for the milling of wheat, pasta making and the oil industry; then, again agricultural entrepreneur for the mechanical ploughing on behalf of third parties of part of the territory.

The appearance, however, did not correspond to his sentimental intimacy, especially with his family and parental relationships: the colloquial kindness with people of the so-called "lower" class was surprising, historically accustomed to attitudes of unjustified ubjection to those who boasted the title of "don".

Don Attilio, for his characteristics as a non-violent and fundamentally good man, was respected and honored... outside of the usual insincere and spiteful practice by the peasant and working classes in vogue at that time, up to the sixties. (the expressions " 'ssa benedica", "baciu li manu" ( "you bless me"�) ( "I kiss your hands") still ring in In the early 1950s, suffering from kidney stones, he underwent surgery in a clinic in Palermo.
 
The course of his convalescence, I remember, was long due to a feverish state that lasted for several months. I remember that his brother Pasquale sent him antibiotics from America that were not yet available in Italy. Later, my father and mother spent a period vacation in Termini Imerese, at the Grand Hotel delle Terme. It was a summer break of which I still have vivid and pleasant memories; the fruit and vegetable market in Via Verdura; the afternoons spent, from time to time, in the Marina gardens, between walks, ice cream cones and, for me, bike rides, with my dear and inseparable bike, given to me by my American Uncle.

Of his other activities, I remember that of accountant both in the stone mill, next to the cylinder mill in the new factory of the Castellana &  Vallone company, and in the oil mill opposite. I have a vivid memory of it because, every day, it was my job to bring him a portion of the lunch that was prepared at home for the whole family. I did the same for my brother Pippo who, still an adolescent, worked in the factory: sometimes as an employee at the mill, sometimes at the pasta factory, sometimes at the oil mill. 

His last work experience, that of a hotelier/restaurateur, was his own invention, forced by the need to make ends meet, at a time when he had to provide for my support as a student away from home and for the accommodation of my sister Fina and my brother Pippo.  Accommodation came about with the marriage of both of us, in '57 and '60 respectively. For mine, we had to wait until the beginning of my teaching career in '69. Thinking about it now, I feel indebted to him and to my mother for the life sacrificed to that domestic work,done with such humility and perseverance, forgetting the haughtiness they had in distant times.Without haughtiness, it is true, but with dignity and civil distinction in comparison with so many people hosted.

Dad, despite his closed character and gruff expression, as has already been said, was of noble spirit and affectionate feelings towards his entire family, in particular towards his Mommina wife and sisters,first living in the paternal home and then, following Carolina's accident, in our house. After her sister's death and the move to Lercara Friddi with Dad and Mom, Aunt Concettina spent the last years of her life, followed with all due attention by her brother and my sister Fina's family.

Dad maintained, over time, a leading role in guiding the family; the decisions were always his, Mom in her infinite kindness, flaunted attitudes of submissiveness and subjection, knowing her irascible character. In truth, we were all a little in awe of her, especially for that sense of respect that was shown towards elderly people. I remember that, despite the gradual advent of modern times, we children continued to address both our parents and our paternal and maternal aunts with the formal you ("vossia"�, in dialect).

My decision-making autonomy began to mature at the time of my university studies and mystudy-work experience in Germany, to continue my school career in Sardinia and Veneto. With my marriage in Veneto, I certainly disappointed her hopes of having me in Alia, next to herand her mother. In my decision to l ive my life far from Sicily, I confess that I was selfish, but I had been dreaming of heidea for a long time, in keeping with the mentality of my  personality, sensitive to the social experiences I had had abroad, to the ideals of my high school cultural education that saw me intolerant of sharing a Sicilian society in which I did not recognize myself, due to the very few opportunities it offered, the class injustices, the corruption, in general.
Of an Introverted and taciturn in nature, he did not confide to anyone his great pain in dealing with the issue of the requisition of the tractor, for which he had not been able to pay the last installment of 400 thousand lire, a sum useful for settling Of course he could not seek this sum from his old "friends" in the company of which he was no longer a member, having left it to try his luck as an agricultural entrepreneur. He could do so,on the other hand, from those he thought might be available: close relatives of his son-in-law Sebastiano, or some wealthy friend. But he did not succeed.

Too much trust in others betrayed him and, subsequently, he lacked the time to try other ways.his debt, which would have guaranteed him full ownership of the vehicle.

From a religious point of view, he was an agnostic, nevertheless, he never interfered in other people's expressions of faith. As it was said, he was a priest-hater, driven into this attitudeby the unedifying Christian example that the clergy, at that time, gave. He was unable to detach himself from this miserable phenomenology and to rise to theological levels of research that would have opened up horizons of understanding and trust. As  a correct, honest and upright man towards all, which he was, perhaps he manifested his Christianity in his works, contrary to those who, although appearing devout and pious, did not shine with honesty and kindness towards others.

Introverted and taciturn in nature, he did not confide to anyone his great pain in dealing with the issue of the requisition of the tractor, for which he had not been able to pay the last installment of 400 thousand lire, a sum useful for settling his debt, which would have guaranteed him full ownership of the vehicle. Of course he could not seek this sum from his old "friends" in the company of which he was no longera member, having left it to try his luck as an agricultural entrepreneur. He could do so, on the other hand, from those he thought might be available: close relatives of his son-in-law Sebastiano, or some wealth friend . But he did not succeed.  

Too much trust in others betrayed him and, subsequently, he lacked the time to tryr, driven into this attitude by the unedifying Christian example that the clergy, at that time, gave. He was unable to detach himself from this miserable phenomenology and to rise to theological levels of research that would have opened up horizons of understanding and trust. As a correct, honest and upright he only advantage of being relatively close to the family of his daughter Serafina.  There, together with his wife and sister, he spent the last years of his life in a heartbreaking nostalgia for Alia, confessed to his wife a few days before his death. He left with serene soul of having accompanied to her end, with devotion and care, his sister Concettina. His wife survived him for another ten years in my sister Anna's house, in Termini.