Interview with Geno Scattolon

Geno Victor Scattolon was born on September 4, 1928 in Dominion, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. His father, Romano Scattolon, a miner, was arrested on June 10, 1940, and was detained in Sydney Jail. He was then sent to Camp Petawawa in Ontario where he was interned for 27 months. Geno was just 12 years old at the time when his father was taken away. In this interview, Geno recalls how hard it was for his family (especially his mother) during his father’s absence. His oldest brother was forced to take up the reins of the household, while his uncle looked out for them. For the most part the Scattolons were not mistreated by their community, except for a couple of incidents which Geno recounts. The first was a confrontation between his uncle and a customer at the family’s small business and the second was a fight Geno had with another boy at the local pool hall. Geno also talks a little about his political views regarding the then Minister of Justice, Louis St. Laurent, and the Liberal Party.