Pitigrilli
Encyclopedia
Pitigrilli, the pseudonym
for Dino Segre, (9 May 1893 - 8 May 1975) was an Italian writer who made his living as a journalist and novelist.
. His father was Jewish, his mother Catholic, and he grew up a Catholic. He graduated from the University of Turin, Faculty of Law
in 1916.
He had a short-lived relationship with the poet Amalia Guglielminetti
. At about this time he began his career as a journalist and novelist.
In 1924 he founded the literary magazine Grandi Firme, which attracted a large readership of young literati. The magazine lasted until 1938, when the Fascist Government banned it in accordance with the Race Laws.
Pitigrilli was a famous aphorist. Among his most well-known aphorisms are "Fragments: a providential resource for writers who don't know how to put together an entire book" and "Grammar: a complicated structure that teaches language but impedes speaking."
for being Jewish, but he fled with his family in 1943 to Switzerland, where he lived until 1947.
In 1948 he went to Argentina, which was already under the rule of Juan Perón
, and remained there for ten years. He then returned to Paris but occasionally visited his house in Turin. He was in Turin when he died.
.
Since the fascist regime issued openly anti-Semitic “racial laws” and Pitigrilli was a Jew, he had credibility among anti-fascist activists. According to a statement of an Italian post-war government committee, “…the last doubt (on Pitigrilli being OVRA informant number 373) could not stand after the unequivocal and categorical testimonies … about encounters and confidential conversations that took place exclusively with Pitigrilli.” It was later found that elements of these conversations were used by the Fascist secret police to carry out arrests and prosecutions of anti-fascist friends of Pitigrilli.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for Dino Segre, (9 May 1893 - 8 May 1975) was an Italian writer who made his living as a journalist and novelist.
Early life to adulthood
He was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. His father was Jewish, his mother Catholic, and he grew up a Catholic. He graduated from the University of Turin, Faculty of Law
University of Turin, Faculty of Law
The University of Turin, Faculty of Law is the law school of the University of Turin . The faculty of law is elsewhere called the Law Department of the University of Turin...
in 1916.
He had a short-lived relationship with the poet Amalia Guglielminetti
Amalia Guglielminetti
Amalia Guglielminetti was an Italian poet and writer.-Life:Amalia, who had two sisters, Emma and Erminia, and a brother, Ernesto, was born in Turin to Pietro Guglielminetti and his wife Felicita Lavezzato. Her great-grandfather had moved from Cravanzana to Turin around 1858, where he had...
. At about this time he began his career as a journalist and novelist.
In 1924 he founded the literary magazine Grandi Firme, which attracted a large readership of young literati. The magazine lasted until 1938, when the Fascist Government banned it in accordance with the Race Laws.
Pitigrilli was a famous aphorist. Among his most well-known aphorisms are "Fragments: a providential resource for writers who don't know how to put together an entire book" and "Grammar: a complicated structure that teaches language but impedes speaking."
Travel and death
From 1930 he started traveling around Europe, staying mainly in Paris with brief periods in Italy. It was his experiences in Paris that led to his most famous novel, Cocaïne (1921). He returned to Italy in 1940 at the risk of being internedNazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
for being Jewish, but he fled with his family in 1943 to Switzerland, where he lived until 1947.
In 1948 he went to Argentina, which was already under the rule of Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
, and remained there for ten years. He then returned to Paris but occasionally visited his house in Turin. He was in Turin when he died.
Collaboration with the Fascist regime
According to documents and accounts by members of the clandestine anti-fascist movement Giustizia e Liberta` (Justice and Freedom) operating in the city of Turin, Pitigrilli acted as an informant for the Fascist secret police OVRA.
Since the fascist regime issued openly anti-Semitic “racial laws” and Pitigrilli was a Jew, he had credibility among anti-fascist activists. According to a statement of an Italian post-war government committee, “…the last doubt (on Pitigrilli being OVRA informant number 373) could not stand after the unequivocal and categorical testimonies … about encounters and confidential conversations that took place exclusively with Pitigrilli.” It was later found that elements of these conversations were used by the Fascist secret police to carry out arrests and prosecutions of anti-fascist friends of Pitigrilli.
Works
- La moglie di Putifarre. Milano 1953
- La *piscina di Siloe. Milano 1948
- Le amanti. La decadenza del paradosso. Torino, Edit. Associati-Tip. Salussolia, 1938.
- Cocaina. Sonzogno, Milano, 1921
- Dolicocefala bionda. Sonzogno, Milano, 1936
translated in English
- Cocaine, New York: Greenberg, 1933. Reissued in 1974 by AND/OR Press, San Francisco.
- The Man Who Searched for Love, translated by Warre B. Wells. New York: R. M. McBride & Company, 1932.