Peter Magnine

Peter Magnine was born in Chicago on Taylor Street to parents who traced their roots to Basilicata in Italy and Campania. He went to grade school in a parish run by Jesuits and to high school run by Christian Brothers, and after earning a bachelor of arts, he worked for 38-plus years in law enforcement, where he received a very real education. He remembers stories from him his youth that he heard and witnessed firsthand, and he hopes that these stories inspire memories in those who read them.

Army Pfc. and boot camp boxer Louis Grippo

A tough kid from the Taylor Street neighborhood, Louis Grippo ended up sparring under the tutelage of a world champion while training at Ft. Riley during World War II. This is a story about Pfc. Louis Grippo and his travels during World War II. But a little background first. I grew up in my father’s family building on West Taylor Street in one of the Italian enclaves of Chicago. My mom’s family lived on South May Street, two blocks away. In my early years, we went over there almost every day. When I was in grammar school, I was there …

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