Alfred V. Cafiero

The Life and Times of Albert Capo Alfred V. Cafiero

The Life and Times of Albert Capo reveals the social, economic, and cultural atmosphere that existed during the latter two-thirds of the twentieth century. The immigrant population that lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s faced many challenges, the least of which was learning a new language as they slowly integrated themselves into American society. Most boys Albert's age did not encounter the peculiar situations or problems that confronted Albert. The streets of New York were Albert's playground during his formative years, as it was for most boys living in ethnic conclaves throughout the city. Living through the Depression and prewar years gave Albert a unique perspective on the rapid change in American society. The American landscape looked quite different prior to the nineteenth century; there were no electric illumination of homes, no telephones, radios, TVs, automobiles, or central heating of homes. The importance of the twentieth century cannot be overestimated. The folks who lived through the twentieth century witnessed more technological advancements, inventions, and discoveries than the entire past history of mankind. Along with scientific discoveries was the fight for civil rights for women as well as minorities, two world wars, the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the conquest of outer space by landing a man on the moon. It would take many volumes to describe that which has advanced the cause of civilization during the past one hundred years; and it would stagger the imagination to ponder the vicissitudes of technology for the next one hundred years-if we don't destroy ourselves in the process.