What was Gasparro's connection to Italy?

Zoins

This image mentions Frank Gasparro was Cavalier Ufficiale of Italy. Does anyone know what this is in reference to? Google Translates this to "Official Cavalier" which still doesn't tell me what this is.

• www.pandaamerica.com/NEWS_FrankGasparro_3_2_04_PRINT.html

Wikipedia mentions the following which I don't think this is in reference to:

Friends close to Gasparro had serious suspicion regarding close ties he established to organized crime while in Italy but he routinely denied any connection. John Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI during Gasparro's tenure at the Mint, was often suspicious of Gasparro's intentions. Hoover was concerned Gasparro was being influenced by an Italian crime family in the town of Bari to design coins with details easily counterfeited by Italian Crime families.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gasparro

Zoins

Some more searches identified this as an Italian knighthood he received in 1973 from the Italian government. It would be great to get a photo of the letter.

This is from the NY Times:

Frank Gasparro, chief engraver of the United States Mint, has received high honors from the Government of Italy. The designer of the Memorial reverse of the Lincoln cent and the reverse of the Kennedy half‐dollar, among other works, has been named a “Cavaliere Ufficiale dell'Ordine ‘Al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.’” He received the citation, accompanied by a letter and a decoration from the President of Italy, at a ceremony late last month in the office of the Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia. The citation emphasized the cultural ties between America and Italy fostered by Mr. Gasparro's many achievements in coin design and medallic art.

• https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/22/archives/bicentennial-coinage-in-the-balance-numismaties-free-for-all-in.html

This is from Wikipedia:

Knighthood (Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Grande Ufficiale, Commendatore – comm., Cavaliere Ufficiale – cav. uff., Cavaliere – cav.) of five Orders (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Ordine Militare d’Italia, Ordine al Merito del Lavoro, Ordine della Stella d'Italia, Ordine di Vittorio Veneto)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_honorifics

BuffaloIronTail

Italians in America had a lot of fraternal organizations they could join. Like other ethic groups, when they got to the US they banded together.

This is no big deal, or mystery. I'm not speaking out of my hat, as my maternal grandparents were Italian.

I can not see or believe that Francesco Gasparro had any "forced" influence on him.

The organizations he belonged to would probably, as a rule, mentioned what they thought would have been appropriate designs that he could engrave,

If you're looking for the proverbial "gun" to his head, I don't think you will find it.

Pete

Namvet69

Like Hoover wasn't busy enough trying to decide which dress to wear after 6. Italy honors an Italian American because he is an accomplished artist. That's gotta mean he's a gangsta. Peace Roy

ricko

J. Edgar's concern was the the mafia might 'out' him....His home security was critical for that reason. Cheers, RickO

BuffaloIronTail

Gasparro was born in Philadelphia in 1909. I saw his birth certificate.

His parents were also born in the USA.

Of course Italy would be proud of Frank. It's only natural.

Would anyone here like to point out anything that Gasparro did that would be "easily" counterfieted?

If so, was the design purposely done with that in mind?

Is there any evidence Gasparro had ties to anyone? State your proof.

Pete

PTVETTER

I have a number of signed items from frank gasparro !

DIMEMAN

yada...yada...yada...yada!

Gluggo

Zion that link you put up with Panamerica I got a warning from that site this is what it said;

Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.pandaamerica.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). Learn more

Hydrant

His grandparents?

Zoins

@Gluggo said:
Zion that link you put up with Panamerica I got a warning from that site this is what it said;

Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.pandaamerica.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). Learn more

PandaAmerica seems to have a problem with their TLS configuration. I've made the link unclickable for now.

BTW, I'm not saying Hoover had any evidence. I was just looking for a connection to Italy and it's the only thing mentioned on his Wikipedia page.

It is interesting he was born in the same month the Lincoln cent was announced in 1909.

Zoins

@PTVETTER said:
I have a number of signed items from frank gasparro !

Very cool. What do you have? Got any pics?

@coinkid855 has a number of plasters posted here:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/993407/anyone-recognize-this-gasparro-design-from-this-plaster