Interview with Gloria Giroux (Costantini)

Gloria Giroux (Costantini) is the daughter of Giuseppe (Joe) Costantini who was detained on June 10, 1940 and interned on June 12, 1940. He was released on January 29, 1941. She was about nine years old and at home on the day the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) came to search their house and take away her father. Nine months passed before the family was able to see him again. Gloria recalls a lot of crying that day. She also recalls trying to run away with a statue of Mussolini hidden under her shirt. This was the second tragedy to befall this family as in 1938 their mother Teresina Sabetti had passed away. Giuseppe (Joe) Costantini was devastated at the loss of his wife but because he needed to care for his seven children he quickly became both mother and father to them. When he was interned, his eldest daughter Kay took over this role, making a decision to leave school in order to get a job to help support her siblings. Additionally, she was entrusted with the role of lobbying for her father's release. Gloria, like her niece Trina Costantini-Powell, also feels that it is important to make sure what happened to their family is never forgotten.