Dedicato A Te

Tony was born in 1950 in Cosenza, Italy, the sixth and final child of Vincenzo and Adelina Villapiana. In 1967 he immigrated to Canada with his parents in search of a better life. From the day they arrived, Tony worked hard to build a good life for himself and his family. In 1976 Tony went back to Italy to seek his life partner. It was here that Tony met Pina. The spark ignited. Tony returned to Canada to carry on his work. Pina and Tony keep up a long distance relationship for a year until Pina's father decided to bring his young daughter to Canada for a visit. The bond intensified. Tony asked Pina's father for her hand in marriage. With the betrothal arranged, the future bride returned to her homeland with her father. A year passed and once again she found herself in Canada.December of 1978 saw the couple joined together in marriage. Their love grew, and so did their family. The two of them were blessed with 3 beautiful sons; Gianluca, Andrea and Daniel. Life in this new land proved fruitful for Tony and his family. He toiled day and night building his dream, his future, his legacy.A lot has happened since his happy childhood on a small farm in Cosenza, Italy. Yet, the man has more than enough room in his generous heart for both the country he was born in and the country he now calls home.Shannon WhiteOriginal illustrations by Umberto FusariCover by Umberto Micheli