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Carmen's parents
were immigrants from Italy. Naomi's father was from Poland, her
mother born in New Britain. Both Naomi and Carmen lived through
the Depression. Their parents were friends, as Carmen's mother
sewed for Naomis father in Sokol Brothers Coat Factory.
Carmen worked for
the New Britain Post Office, then moved to Florida for his health
and died there in a car accident at the young age of 33. Naomi
came to get the diary when she was doing research for her second
book coming out in 2009, The City That Never Slept. She
called on Carmen's older sister, Barbara Franceschelli who also
worked for the Sokols in the factory retail store. |
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When interviewing
for the book Barbara told Naomi of the diary and gave it to her
to print. Naomi and Barbara feel it was meant to be that Carmen's
words can be read by others to understand what went on in the
minds of our young brave men who fought for the freedom that
we enjoy today.
Carmen's father
had a barber shop Jims' Barber Shop and his mother sewed for
the Sokol Brothers Coat Factory on 21 Whiting Street. They
lived on Maple Street. Carmen graduated from New Britain High,
Class of 1943. Naomi went to Lincoln School, and Central Junior
High, Dean Academy '51 and Emerson College, Boston. Naomi was
married in New Britain, Temple Beth El. She lived on Corbin Avenue
and Elbridge Road.
In the Diary, Carmen mentions often getting the hometown newspaper,
The New Britain Herald, "Oct. 23, 1944 mail call,
I got five copies of the home town paper." |
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Naomi Sokol Zeavin
listens with rapt attention to New Britain
Industrial Museum president Warren E. Kingsbury |
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Barbara Franceschelli,
Carmen's sister and Naomi enjoy meeting people
at the Book Release Party. Barbara holds the actual diary in
her hand. |
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Naomi's daughter Jill
Robin and museum volunteer Allan |
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Participants enjoyed
a mouth-watering array of goodies! |
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Zeavin YouTube Page "History Speaks"
index.html
or
tiny URL |
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Brochure
from the New Britain Industrial Museum
at Central Connecticut State University
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The U.S.S. Hornet,
now a museum at Alameda, California
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Carmen Franceschelli
in his Navy uniform
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(Click on
Photo for Full Resume)
Reagan Appointee
to the Arts,
John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts
President of U-R-Unique Video.
Produces documentaries.
Carmens Diary,
Aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12) in 1944
Second book in
2009,
The City That
Never Slept
(New Britain,
Connecticut, Hardware City of the World)
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"Study in
Brown" by Larry Clinton & His Orchestra
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