A story of Richard Devenuti, VP of Microsoft,
reconnecting with his Italian Roots.
=========================================== With Thanks to Professor Emeritus James Mancuso, who translated from an Internet article by Oreste Mottola. ALTAVILLA SILENTINA. Richard Devenuti, vice-president of Microsoft,
Eighty years ago, his grandfather departed from Altavilla Silentina (a village in the Province of Salerno), to the gain of The United States. The number two man to Bill Gates set out to discover his Altavilla Silentina
roots.
The last name of the family had suffered a curious americanization.
That image was the only trace that remained. As soon as Devenuti, who doesn't
speak Italian, had arrived in Piazza Castello with wife and his two children,
he hardly had time to show
The meeting that followed was very moving and went on for a long time.
Emiddio Mandone, who acted as interpreter, found it difficult to succeed
in holding the rhythm of so many questions and histories of the families,
living for so long a time,
"It is a fantastic experience to discover - Devenuti said - the branches of our family in Italy. Almost a half century from when my father had been to Altavilla. My boys and I, have recovered a fundamental part of our family history". Richard Devenuti, graduate to the University of Washington, has been with Bill Gates since 1987. At Microsoft, in addition to being vice-president, Divenuti is responsible for worldwide external relationships and for the entire inside technological infrastructure. In the past, he had been manager of sales operations and the financial control for the United States. Richard Devenuti is the son of Riccardo, a space engineer in the service
of NASA
It was an action of filial love toward the founder of the American Divenuti family, who, immediately after The Great War had ended, chose to put at his back the wretched life that Altavilla offered to everyone and to try the American "avventura". A choice, seeing the results, that was, indeed, very appropriate. "I will return to Altavilla as soon as possible," said Richard. This
time, however, will be him very difficult to preserve anonymity! [Oreste
Mottola]
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