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TIMELINE
 
Activities
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Milestones
 
  1997 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Renzo Nissim dies on 9 November, 1997
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        1996 arrowleft line arrowright      
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  • Art exhibit at "La Papessa", Rome  Highslide JS
    Pictures of art exhibit at "La Papessa" gallery, Rome  Highslide JS  
     
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  • 1978 arrowleft line arrowright      
        1977 arrowleft line arrowright      
     
  • Renzo automatically re-acquires Italian citizenship.  Highslide JS  
    When Renzo became an American citizen in the 1940s, he lost his Italian citizenship, because there were no dual-citizenship agreements between Italy and the USA
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  • Art exhibit at "Galleria della Balduina", Rome  Highslide JS
    Photos of Inauguration Highslide JS  
    Albert Ceen in white coat
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    Albert Ceen and Renzo Nissim
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    Photo
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    Albert Ceen, unknown, Renzo Nissim
            Catalogue
    Catalogue   Highslide JS  
    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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  • Renzo has an art exhibit in Rome  Highslide JS  
    The exhibition is from 15 - 30 March, 1967 at Galleria Il Porto, Vicolo del Borghetto, 20, Roma
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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  • Renzo lives in Via Cardinal Pacca, 25, Roma  Highslide JS
    The move-in date was around January 1963
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  • Renzo lives in Via Innocenzo X, 21, Roma  Highslide JS
    Renzo was at this address in December 1962
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  • Renzo has an art exhibit in Florence  Highslide JS  
    The exhibition is from 17 - 26 June, 1961 at Galleria D'Arte Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Croce,13r, Firenze
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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  • Renzo lives Via di Villa Sacchetti, 19, Roma  Highslide JS
    Renzo and Elizabeth start living in Via di Villa Sacchetti, 19 towards the end of 1960 until the end of 1962.
  • Renzo has an art exhibit in New York  Highslide JS  
    The exhibition is from April 20 - May 9, 1960 at Alexander Iolas Gallery, 123 E 55 Street, New York
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
  • 1960 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Renzo leaves New York for Italy in July  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives in the port of Naples, Italy on July 31, 1960.
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  • Renzo lives in Piazza Madama 9, Rome  Highslide JS
    This was an attic appartment that belonged to a friend, overlooking Piazza Navona. He wrote letters from here in September 1958.
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  • Renzo leaves Italy for New York in August  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives in New York on August 10, 1959.
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  • Renzo starts painting. First exhibition in Lucca  Highslide JS  
                                                                             
    According to psychiatrist Ferruccio di Cori, Renzo starts painting as a reaction to the birth of his first son. He completes his fourth painting on May 5, 1958. See Dr. Di Cori's article here.
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
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    Catalogue
  • 1958 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Robert is born on May 7  Highslide JS
    Renzo starts painting a few days before Robert is born.
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  • Renzo & Elizabeth move to East 10th Street  Highslide JS  
    The address is 129, East 10th Street, New York City. Elizabeth found this house via Giorgio Tagliacozzo. After they left in 1960, the apartment was taken by Robert Frost's daughter, Lesley Frost Ballantine. Subseqeuntly, the property was bought by a friend of Richard Chapman, Jonathan Miller.

    Elizabeth describes the apartment in a letter dated April 22, 1957
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    129 East 10th Street, New York City. Entrance.
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    129 East 10th Street, New York City. Interior.

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  • Renzo leaves New York for Italy in October  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives in the port of Cherbourg, France on October 21, 1957, and then takes a train to Rome on October 24 with Elizabeth.

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      1956 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Renzo leaves Italy for New York in October  Highslide JS
    Renzo leaves Cherboug with Elizabeth, on Queen Mary on October 25, 1956 and arrives in New York on October 30.
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  • Renzo leaves New York for Italy in September  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives by ship in Plymouth (England) on September 7, 1956. He takes a train to Italy on September 24.
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  • Renzo marries Cicely Elizabeth Myers on February 5, 1956   Highslide JS  
    Renzo and Elizabeth on their wedding day.

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  • Renzo begins working as foreign correpondent for Il Tempo Highslide JS  
    Front cover
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    Page 29 - Renzo's entry
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  • Renzo leaves Italy for New York in June  Highslide JS
    Renzo leaves Le Havre (France) on June 2, 1955, and arrives in New York on June 6.
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  • Renzo leaves New York for Italy in May  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives by ship (S.S. United States) in Le Havre (France) on May 2, 1955, and then takes a train to Italy. The purpose of this trip is most likely to sign a contract with the newspaper Il Tempo, as a foreign corrspondent from New York. Elizabeth & Maggie move into his apartment.

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  • Renzo leaves France for New York in August  Highslide JS
    Renzo leaves Cherbourg (France) on Queen Mary on August 5, 1954, and arrives in New York on August 10.
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  • Renzo leaves New York for England in May  Highslide JS
    Renzo leaves New York and arrives in Plymouth on May 11, 1954. On May 23 he flies from London to Orly Airport (Paris). He takes a train to Italy on May 29.

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  • Renzo returns to New York in April  Highslide JS
    According to passport n.394160, he arrives in New York on April 27, 1953
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  • Renzo leaves New York for London in March  Highslide JS
    Renzo travels from New York to London Airport on March 14, 1953, then travels to Milan.

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  • Renzo goes on a 3 month reportage of America  Highslide JS
    Renzo starts in October with New Orleans Highslide JS  
     
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    Extract from Renzo's travel diary. Renzo travels from New Orleans to San Antonio, Texas on October 18, 1952
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  • Renzo leaves England for New York in June  Highslide JS
    Renzo leavs Southampton on the Ile de France on June 1, 1951, and arrives in Now York on June 7.
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  • Renzo makes his first trip back to Europe in April  Highslide JS
    Renzo arrives at London Airport on April 16, 1951. On April 19 he travels to Milan.   Highslide JS  
    Passport with expiration March 7, 1955
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  • Renzo starts working for NBC  Highslide JS
    Renzo works for NBC from January 6, 1948 to September 30, 1948 Highslide JS  
    Renzo at NBC, 1948
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    Renzo working at NBC, New York (1948).
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  • Renzo becomes a naturalized American citizen on March 14, 1945
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  • Renzo starts working for The Voice of America  Highslide JS
    In November 1943, Renzo starts working for The Voice of America, broadcasting music and commentary overseas. About half of VOA's services were discontinued in 1945. In late 1945, VOA was transferred to the Department of State.

    Renzo continues this job until October 1947
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  • Renzo moves in to 214 Central Park South  Highslide JS
    Renzo starts living in a 1st floor apartment at 214 Central park South in October 1943. The building was demoloshed around 1958.

    Renzo continues this job until October 1947
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  • Renzo testifies in the Cox Congressional Committee  Highslide JS
    Date of hearings: August 1943

    U.S. Congress Representative E. E. Cox, chairman of the Congressional sub-committee investigating the Federal Communications Commission

    Lee Falk, OWI foreign language radio chief. Wanted programs to be anti-Fascist, pro-Democratic.

    Lido Belli, broker for radio time slots on WBNX. Accused, without evidence, of sympathising with the Axis powers. He hired Renzo at Lee Falk's suggestion to temporarily substitute for himself (Belli). Renzo was already an OWI employee producing foreign language radio programs since August 1942

    Eugene L. Garey, Congressional sub-committee councel who questioned Renzo


    Conclusion: It is unlikely there was any ill intent on the part of Lido Belli, and the accusations were possibly motivated by antipathy towards the many foreign employees at the radio station.

    See transcript of interrogation of Lido Belli (page 926) and Renzo Nissim (page 940).

    See newspaper article on proceedings here.
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  • Renzo works for the OWI Overseas branch  Highslide JS
    Renzo works as writer, commentator and announcer for overseas transmissions, from August 1942 to July 1943.
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  • Renzo starts working for Office of War Information (OWI)  Highslide JS
    He started programs for domestic consumption, such as "Victory for America - Freedom for Italy", "You Can't Do Business With Hitler", and "The Voice of Freedom" (see 1943 CV).
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  • Renzo boards the Rex for New York  Highslide JS
    Renzo boards the Rex on December 4, 1938  Highslide JS  
    Passport with expiration October 1939
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        1937 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Adriana Nissim, Renzo's mother, dies, age 66
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  • Renzo graduates in Jurisprudence from the University of Florence Highslide JS 
    Renzo was the youngest graduate in his class
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  • Aristide Nissim, Renzo's father, dies, age 70
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        1911 arrowleft line arrowright  
  • Census of house in Via Giovanni Bovio 25
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  • Renzo Emilio Giuseppe Nissim is born on 19 June, 1907
        at 7:40 AM in Via della Mattonaia 21, Florence, Italy
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    His parents were Aristide Nissim and Adriana Benadi
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           Nissim Family Tree Highslide JS
    Nissim Family Tree
       





             
         Mini Biographies      
               Italiani in America    
             
               Dizionario della Canzone Italiana      Highslide JS
    Dizionario della Canzone Italiana
       
             
               CV from 1943      Highslide JS
    Dizionario della Canzone Italiana
       
             
             





             



        Gallery  




       


         Various portraits of Renzo Nissim

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    Renzo Nissim in Central Park, New York City, anni '50
    (8 photographs)
    Renzo pittore, ca. 1960
    Renzo pittore, ca. 1960
    Renzo a Piazza Barberini, Roma, durante una visita in Italia negli anni '50
       
    Renzo Nissim in his apartment in New York City in the 1950s
        
    Renzo in viaggio da/per New York sull'Indipendence, anni '50, Genova
        
    Renzo in viaggio da/per New York sull'Indipendence, anni '50, Genova
        
    Renzo pittore, anni '60
     




             
             Anni 30 Highslide JS
    Renzo, 1930s
    (18 photographs)
    Renzo with ping pong team, 1930s. Third from the left
    Renzo was a chess enthusiast.
    Renzo with unidentified friends.
       
    Renzo with unidentified friends.
        
    Renzo, 1930s
        
    Renzo in Venice, 1930s
    Renzo enjoyed gambling at the Casino' del Lido di Venezia. Highslide JS  
    The Casino' today
        
    Renzo, 1930s
        
    Renzo with his brother Elio, 1930s
        
    Renzo with Emilio Ambron, Florence, 1930s
        
    Renzo at restaurant with friends (inc. Emilio Ambron), 1930s
        
    Renzo at rstaurant with friends, 1930s
        
    Renzo at party, 1930s
        
    Renzo, 1930s
        
    Renzo, 1930s
        
    Renzo with unidentified friends, Siena, 1930s
        
    Renzo with unidentified friend, 1930s