Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Abraham Mondry - June 15, 22, 29 & July 13, 1992

But your friends, the man who owned the warehouse, your wife, the man from UNRRA , did you talk to them about what had happened to you?

Yeah, they know. They ask me that. They know, you know. But he had one son, the Italian man, he had a son. He was...he was a... a pilot in the Air Force. And see, he was...he was stationed with Mussolini's son, I think, I don't know, something. Through him I meet Sophia Loren's sister.

And you lived in a house there?

Yeah, I live...I lived with a woman. She had a...she had a big...a big apartment. Her husband didn't come back from the army, from the war, you know.

So, this was before you were married?

I had a good time.

But when you came to the United States, you decided not to tell anybody?

What?

You decided not to talk to anybody about the war.

No, no, no...nobody...You see, I had no time. I was busy twenty-four hours a day. I was lady ???. I used to know lots of contractors, you know. I used to go to Russia too, a couple times. Had Italian contractors, they used to make, ladies suits, you know. And they used to have overcoats I needed.

Hm.

They used to call me up, Abe, we got about 150 pieces. You got enough dough? Gamblers, you know gamblers? I used to bring the cash. I used to have a special account of my own, so I can draw cash, you know, not from the business.

Hm.

When I left there I put it in my account. I already...I already knew how much money I made on my own, myself. I make two, three dollars a piece on a, on a garment, you know. You know Port of Huron New York. Port of Huron?

Sure.

You know, it's where New Jersey, Pennsylvania, this is like a tri-country.

Uh-huh.

I had an Italian guy, he was a contractor, you know, bathing suits, you know. I used to buy in the wintertime, the bathing suits. They...they...the...the over...overcoats, you know...from a big company, too.