Italian Immigrant's Son...Orphaned at 6....Earned Scholarship to Penn State in Mining Engineering....Worked in High Mountains of Peru...Joined Marines at Pearl Harbor...Became Frontline Lieutenant... Awarded Silver Star and two Bronze medals for Exploits...After D-Day, Volunteered as a Daredevil bomb demolition expert...

More Specifically, Mr. Bellano was born to large Italian immigrant family, but was orphaned at 6 years old, and grew up in the Philadelphia Girard boarding school for impoverished orphans.

In 1932, after two years of working in miscellaneous jobs at depression era wages, he had somehow saved enough money to enter Penn State where he was then able to earn a scholarship for a degree in mining engineering.

Then determined to learn the mining business from "...below the ground, up: he spent several years working in the high mountain mines of Peru, then joined the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Bellano became a frontline lieutenant. In 1944, Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded Bellano the Silver Star for gallantry in the Marshall Islands. Bellano later received two bronze medals for heroism in Iwo Jima, Saipan, and Tinian, becoming the subject of numerous wire service stories for his war exploits.

Moreso, Bellano volunteered after D-Day, to work in bomb demolitions, became known as the daredevil who, trained a team that cleared over 50 minefields in the Philippines. Major General Harry Schmidt, [who obviously has a clever sense of humor] said, "Bill Bellano is a 32-year-old itinerant coal miner who joined the Marines because he wanted to see more explosions."

Back in Civilian life, Bill quickly expanded his reputation with successes in the mining industry and rapidly worked his way up the corporate ladder. Bellano had a long and distinguished worldwide career in the mineral extractive, processing and energy industries, with many of the top energy companies, becoming an internationally recognized energy expert, and President of Occidental Petroleum.

After his retirement in 1972, Bellano continued to privately consult and was a frequent consultant to U.S. senators and served as a member of the President's Energy Advisory Council.

Bellano was active in many charitable organizations during his life and never forgot his humble roots as a struggling orphan. He always claimed that he was blessed and that it was his responsibility to share time, energy and money with society's marginalized, so they might see hope in a world where they may have seen none.

Despite his Horatio Alger life of rags to riches, Ironically, Bellano was always described by his friends as a modest -- and shy man.

Details below from Quote.Com, and Los Angeles Times, and a Reference to the town of Bellano in Italy, at the end.
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Thanks to Prof. Emeritus James Mancuso, for whom this story has some very personal parallels. Jim was the son of Italian Immigrants, whose father was a miner, and grew up as an orphan at the Milton Hershey School, inspired by the Girard School.
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OBITUARY: Former Occidental Petroleum President,
William Bellano, Dies (1912 - 2004)

TUSCON, Ariz.,March 12, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) --William Bellano, former President of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, passed away on March 8, 2004, at the age of 91.

Bellano led a Horatio Alger life of rags to riches. Orphaned from Italian immigrant parents, his employment began with a clerkship in an ice cream factory, peaked as chief executive of one of the world's largest oil companies, and included numerous decorations as a World War II hero while serving with the United States Marines.

A photo of Mr. Bellano is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/?pkgid=848

Bellano had a long and distinguished worldwide career in the mineral extractive, processing and energy industries. After earning a degree in mining engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1936, he was determined to learn the mining business from "...below the ground, up."

He spent several years working in the high mountain mines of Peru but, shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked, he joined the Marines and became a frontline lieutenant during the war. He volunteered for one of the war's most dangerous roles -- a bomb demolition expert in the Pacific Theater.

In 1944, Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded Bellano the Silver Star for gallantry in the Marshall Islands. Bellano later received two bronze medals for heroism in Iwo Jima, Saipan, and Tinian.

Already the subject of numerous wire service stories for his war exploits, Bellano became known as the daredevil who, after D-Day, trained a team that cleared over 50 minefields in the Philippines.

Major General Harry Schmidt, commanding general of the Fifth Amphibious Corps said, "Bill Bellano is a 32-year-old itinerant coal miner who joined the Marines because he wanted to see more explosions."

Upon returning to the United States, he quickly expanded his reputation with successes in the mining industry. Ironically, Bellano was always described by his friends as a modest -- and shy man.

He rapidly worked his way up the corporate ladder -- and around the country -- beginning as a miner, then engineer and then supervisor with companies such as International Mineral (in Chicago, Illinois and Lakeland, Florida), Island Creek Coal Company (in Cleveland, Ohio and in Huntington, West Virginia), Glen Alden Corporation (in Kingston, Pennsylvania and in New York City) and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (in Los Angeles).

He was an internationally recognized energy expert. Bellano's early retirement in 1972 proved difficult because of a continued demand for his expertise. He answered numerous requests from industry giants, consulting for D.K. Ludwig of National Bulk Carriers and for Howard Keck of Superior Oil and other clients that required him to travel the globe.

Always proud to serve his country, he was a frequent consultant to U.S. senators and a member of the President's Energy Advisory Council. At the request of his wife, Dee, he retired for good in 1990.

Mr. Bellano was born into a large Italian immigrant family, but he was orphaned at six years old and grew up in a Philadelphia boarding school for impoverished orphans, Girard College, graduating in 1930.

In 1932, after two years of working in miscellaneous jobs at depression era wages, he had somehow saved enough money to enter Penn State where he was then able to earn a scholarship that allowed him to complete his formal education.

In 1974 the University honored him with its distinguished Alumnus Award. He was also named a "Life Member" of the American Institute of Mining, The Canadian Institute of Mining, and the coal industry's "Old Timers Club."

Bellano was active in many charitable organizations during his life and never forgot his humble roots as a struggling orphan who was given an opportunity to succeed thanks to the Girard College School for Orphans, the Penn State University Scholarship and concerned mentors.

He always claimed that he was blessed and that it was his responsibility to share time, energy and money with society's marginalized, so they might see hope in a world where they may have seen none. Even though a decorated war hero, an accomplished corporate executive, and counsel to Presidents, Bellano never lost sight of those who were less fortunate.

Prior to his passing, Bellano laid the groundwork for the Bill Bellano Foundation which was established to support the disenfranchised who were of great importance to him -- orphans, foster children, and children with learning disabilities. The family -- his wife of 59 years, Dee, son, Bob, daughter, Barbara, and four grandchildren -- have asked that donations be made to the Bill Bellano Foundation:

The Bill Bellano Foundation: 100 Wilshire Blvd.Suite 1840 Santa Monica, CA 90401(310) 656-7367 or (310) 656-7347A private memorial service for family and close friends of the William Bellano family shall be held in Westwood, California on Wednesday, March 24 at 10:00am: Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary1218 Glendon Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024(310) 474-1579
A photo is also available via NewsCom (www.newscom.com).
CONTACT: The Bill Bellano Foundation, Brad Embree, (310) 656-7347

OBITUARY: Former Occidental Petroleum President,
William Bellano, Dies (1912 - 2004) (Quote.com) http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?story=
200403122335_PZN_54125&symbols=INDUSTRY:905
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OBITUARIES
WILLIAM BELLANO, 91, PRESIDENT OF OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM IN '70s
 
 

The Los Angeles Times
From Associated Press
March 15, 2004

William Bellano, a former president of Occidental Petroleum Corp. and a longtime oil industry executive, has died. He was 91.

Bellano died March 8 in Tucson, where he had lived in a retirement home since 1990. A son of Italian immigrants who was orphaned at age 6, Bellano was born in Philadelphia and was raised in a boarding school for impoverished children. His first job was as a clerk in an ice cream factory. He earned a bachelor's degree in mining engineering in 1936 from Penn State, then embarked on a long career in the mining, processing and energy industries.

He worked for several years in Peru's high mountain mines, then joined the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He volunteered to work in bomb demolitions, and became an expert in the field in the Pacific theater, receiving a Silver Star in 1944 for gallantry in the Marshall Islands. Bellano later received two Bronze Stars for heroism at Iwo Jima, Saipan and Tinian.

Bellano returned to the mining industry after the war and advanced through the corporate hierarchy. He held positions with a number of companies in various locations, including International Mineral, Island Creek Coal Co., Glen Alden Corp. and finally Occidental Petroleum.

Bellano was named president of Occidental Petroleum in February 1970 and retired in January 1972. He continued as an industrial consultant for members of the U.S. Senate and served on the President's Energy Advisory Council until 1984.

Before his death, Bellano created the Bill Bellano Foundation to support the disenfranchised: orphans, foster children and children with learning disabilities.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Dee; a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.

William Bellano, 91; President of Occidental Petroleum in Early '70s
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/
la-me-bellano15mar15,1,2561877.story?coll=la-news-obituaries

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The very pretty village of Bellano is on a little peninsula  extending into Lake Como, near the Swiss border- Interestingly enough, although there is a major Freeway  just above the Village, it is invisible. Why? Because it’s underground. Throughout the ruggedly steep hill country of northern Italy, the unsightly mess and noise of major highways is for the most part kept hidden inside long--really long--tunnels bored through the mountains. It took 40 years to complete the underground autoroute around Lake Como, but it saved all the quaint villages and the gorgeous lakeshore from a terrible fate.