A polygot

Giuseppe Achille Belloni was born in San Colombano al Lambro (Milano) Italy on the 23rd May 1887. At the time of his arrest on the 11th June 1940, he was living at 75 Green Lane, Edgeware, Middlesex, England with his wife Ines née Marzagalli and son Omero [Homer].

Giuseppe started out in London, England in 1904 as a waiter at Romano’s Restaurant and then at apartment houses. From 1906 to 1912, he was employed as a waiter at hotels in Belgium, France and Germany. Giuseppe returned to London and the Savoy Hotel from 1912 to 1915. During WW1 he served with the Italian army in an engineering unit and acted as interpreter for a few months.

In 1919, he returned to London once again working at the Savoy.  He married Ines Marzagalli and began a wine merchant business with his brother-in-law Filippo Marzagalli the same year. Subsequently, Angelo Gremoldi became the third partner in the business. By the 14th January 1925, the company G. Belloni and Co. Ltd. was established with the wine merchant business operating at 81 Charing Cross Road.  By 1934, G. Belloni and Co. Ltd. operated at three business premises: 81 Charing Cross Road, 53 and 55 Charolotte Street.

At the time of his arrest, Giuseppe Belloni was Managing Director of G. Belloni and Co. Ltd with a one third ownership. Giuseppe’s passion was Italian wine and food and he was the first president of the Italian Wine Importers Association in UK. He was also President of the Italian Sports Club in London and a member of the Fascist Directorate in London.

Giuseppe, likely due to his age, was not suitable for parole to work with the Civil Aliens Corps in forestry work, but he was keen to be ‘released on parole’ while awaiting return to the UK.  He was self-starting in applying for jobs suitable to his interests and experience as a provisions merchant and restaurant owner. 

He applied to the Managing Director of Paramount Pictures in Brisbane Street, Sydney outlining his experience: … I can speak fluently French, German, Spanish and Italian and have a good knowledge of Portuguese and Romanian. I had three restaurants in London and one in Italy plus my wine and provision business. If perchance in your chains of cinemas you have a restaurant, tea lounge or bar of cafeterias, I feel I could be very useful… (NAA: MP70/1, 37/101/185 Tatura Part 4) 

On the 16th November 1944 Giuseppe was released to Sydney for work at a theatre company in Brisbane Street, Sydney.

He returned to the UK onboard the Mauretania, arriving in Liverpool, England on the 23rd September 1945.

(NAA:A2908 P22 Part14)