| Alessandro Sabbadini | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Sgt. Alex Sabbadini, 1944. | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1916 Rome |
| Nativity | Italy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32626304 |
| Rank | Technician Third Grade |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Team | IPW Italian 4 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Alessandro Sabbadini (born 1916) was a Ritchie Boy (from Italy) who trained at Camp Ritchie. The record lists a final rank of Technician Third Grade.
Biography
Alessandro (Alex) Sabbadini was born in Rome to a Jewish family in 1916 and lived 18 years under Mussolini before emigrating to the United States at age 23. On 13 June 1943, he Naturalized as an American citizen while in Algeria by INS Director Henry. Unconscious, shrapnel wound; returned to duty 11 August 1943. Graduate of Special Class (SC) No. Career as professional fine arts appraiser and auctioneer in California. Worked as manager in factory producing smoking pipes. After three years in the U.S. he became one of the first Ritchie Boys and was among the few Italian-born Jews to fight with the Allies in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He graduated from Camp Ritchie in late 1942, received battlefield citizenship in North Africa before the invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943, and earned the Purple Heart for wounds in the Sicilian campaign. After Sicily and Salerno, he landed at Anzio (Operation SHINGLE, 22 January 1944) near the Sabbadini villa where he had spent summers as a youth, serving with the U.S. Fifth Army. A Fifth Army authority dated 28 August 1943 identifies him as a technician third grade in the Advance Document Section, attached to the G-2 section, and authorizes him to move with the section's vehicle.
Research notes
- OCR (100%) of `1459807756183480.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 28 August 1943 — rank mentioned: Major.
- OCR mentioned officer rank Major (not auto-filled — verify).
Gallery
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Sabbadini poses with four-legged and four-wheeled friends, Naples, early 1944. -
The Alex Sabbadini Documents Trust has donated Sabbadini’s extensive collection of WWII documents and artifacts to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -
The Alex Sabbadini Documents Trust has donated Sabbadini’s extensive collection of WWII documents and artifacts to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32626304 |
| Nara Name | SABBADINI ALESSANDRO |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 061 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 111142 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Height (inches) | 68 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 142 |
| row_source | demographics |
Timeline
- 11 November 1942 Joined Army in NYC as Pvt (ASN 32626304). Assigned to Camp Upton NY.
- 10 July 1943 Landed near Licata, Sicily with 3rd Infantry Division (Operation Husky).
- 13 June 1943 — Naturalized as an American citizen while in Algeria by INS Director Henry.
- 15 February 1943 Shipped by air to Algeria (arr. 2/28) assigned to special G-2 Advanced Document Section.
- Unconscious, shrapnel wound; returned to duty 11 August 1943.
- 6 July 1945 Assigned to OSS.
- Assigned to IPW It Team 4 (included DeBondini and OIC Lt. Ciforelli).
- Served with IPW It Team 4 attached to AFHQ of the 5th Army in North Africa, Sicily, and Italian Campaigns (Anzio, Rome,..).
Sources
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-03-06 (2 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-06-30 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: US Holocaust Memorial Museum
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 1459807756183480.jpg
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Alessandro Sabbadini for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Sabbadini, Alessandro for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ALESSANDRO SABBADINI (2021).doc)