My grandfather

Group:
My grandfather and my mother
My grandfather and my mother

My grandfather (Angelo Sestini) was born in São Paulo, Brazil in December 19th 1921, but after completing 5 years of age he moved to the city of Lucca in Italy. In my grandfather's 20's he tried to begin a career as a doctor in Italy, but the Second World War began and so he was forced to serve in the war for 5 years and became an official for King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy's army which was against Benito Mussolini (an Italian politician that ruled Italy as Prime Minister and led the country until 1925, when he dropped the pretence of democracy and established a dictatorship). After the end of World War 2, my grandfather went to college and graduated from the University of Florence in Italy as a lawyer. Soon after, he came to Brazil to take care of the family company, the Metal Mechanics that he later sold and went to work in the civil construction (President of Servix Engineering) and built several very important constructions in Brazil as: Itaipu hydroelectric plant, hydroelectric plant of Sobradinho, Rio Niterói Bridge in Rio de Janeiro, and among other great constructions that helped shape Brazil to become such an influential country in South America. My grandfather then had the third largest construction company of Brazil in his hands, and not long after my uncle and mother were born. My grandfather had indeed a huge impact in the growth of Brazil and is definitely a member of my family that I am extremely proud of. 

Place(s): Italy and Brazil
Year: 1926

– Stephany Sestini

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant