 |
  Maurice “Mike” Gioseffi
Maurice “Mike” Gioseffi was born May 17th, 1920 to parents Ericle and Josephine Gioseffi. Mike and his family lived on 28 High Street in Rye, New York (Street View). Mike lived with both his parents and brothers Samuel, Arthur, Aurelio, and Nicholas. Mike’s father worked as a Stonemason doing Odd Jobs for a living. Mike attended Rye High School, class of 1938. But, before that, in 6th grade Mike earned a perfect attendance award. During his High School years Mike became the Vice President of the Band, played in the Orchestra, participated in the Fingerprinting and “Drivers” clubs, and in a poll was awarded as the Peppiest Student. Also, in 1940 he earned an Emblem Club Award at the Rye YMCA. On July 1st, 1941 Mike signed up for the draft.
 On May 20th, 1942 Mike enlisted into the United States Army serving his country as a paratrooper during WWII. Paratroopers were to play a decisive part in World War II. Paratroopers were vital in the initial attacks by the Allies at D-Day and they played an important role in the Allies failed attack on Arnhem. Airborne soldiers at D-Day took disproportionately high casualties compared to  the beach landings (with the exception of Omaha) while the airborne attack on Arnhem proved to be a failure.
Most senior military commanders saw the role of the airborne troops simply as to seize strategic sites (such as bridges in the example at Arnhem) and to hold them until ground troops arrived. In ‘Operation Varsity’, airborne troops held a ridge overlooking the River Rhine to give support to the ground troops who needed to cross the river before moving on. In this example, the paratroopers were also expected to fight off any German attack which would hinder the speed of the crossing of the River Rhine.
On many occasions, paratroopers were used as normal infantrymen. This happened in both the European conflict as well as in the Pacific. During the Battle of the Bulge, Eisenhower used three airborne divisions as infantry units to fight off the German counter-offensives.
Mike moved to Fort Lauderdale after serving his country as a paratrooper in WWII. On November 2nd, 1948, Mike married his wife Verna in Brownard, Florida. He began his entrepreneurial career as part owner of Gulf gas station located on Andrews Avenue in downtown. In 1950, with the help of his wife Verna, Mike founded Broward Fire Equipment and Service in a shed he built in the backyard of the home he still occupied at the time of his death. In 1956 he moved his fire equipment company to its current location (at the time of his passing) on Sixth Street. He was active in numerous business and civic associations, including serving as a president of the Executives' Association of Fort Lauderdale and as a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
Maurice "Mike" Gioseffi, 97 passed peacefully at home on August 11, 2017. Born in Rye, New York, Predeceased by his son Daniel, he was survived by his wife Verna, sons Ronald, Maurice, John (Robyn), daughter Josephine (James) and 5 beautiful granddaughters (by age) Anna, Lexi, Julie, Ruby and Amy.
John Melfi
RHS 2021
Sources:
Fulton Newspapers
1930 Census
Enlistment Record
Rye High School Yearbook 1938
Obituary
Draft Card
|
|
|