Worked at Latin Café Melbourne
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Mar 22
- 2 min read
Pietro Mocogni was born in Barga (Lucca) Italy on the 22nd August 1888. He lived at 32 Carnegie Street, Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife Maria Christina (neé Minchella) when he was arrested on the 11th June 1940 and his occupation was listed as waiter.
In Edinburgh in 1938, Mocogni Brothers established the businesses of restaurants and fish and chip restaurant at 37 Carnegie Street, 36b St Leonard’s Street, 17 St Leonard’s Hill, 16a Dumbiedykies Road and 20 Upper Grey Street. Their startup capital was £1000. There were four Mocogni brothers: Angelo, Virginio, Giovanni and Pietro.
Pietro and Giovanni were arrested in Edinburgh and suffered a shared experience the Arandora Star tragedy and internment. Giovanni and Pietro had survived the sinking of the Arandora Star separately, and only found each other in Greenock, Scotland.
Mocogni Brothers: Back - Giovanni and Angelo; Front - Pietro and Virginio
(courtesy of Patrick Brincheski)
The Dunera voyage to Australia took its toll on Pietro for he was disembarked and sent directly to the Broadmeadows Military Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria on the 3rd September 1940. He was transferred with the other recovering UK Italian internees to Tatura Camp 2B on the 20th September 1940.
On the 24th March 1942, Pietro was on a list for those who MAY return to UK for consideration by the Advisory Committee subject to a ‘satisfactory camp report’. Almost a year later, on the 19th February 1943, Pietro’s permission to return to UK was then refused for security reasons.
Classified as ‘infirm’, on the 7th September 1944, Pietro was ‘released on parole’ to work at the Latin Café, Exhibition Street, Melbourne, together with Giuseppe Moruzzi from Wales.
On the 22nd August 1945, Pietro boarded the SS Mauretania in Sydney, NSW for his return home. He disembarked at Liverpool, England on the 23rd September 1945 with eight other UK Italian internees and returned home to 32 Carnegie Street, Edinburgh.
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