The War Years.

A Memory of Crook.

There were four Italian shops in the town when that nation joined Hitler. Tazioli, Vincenti and Rinaldi had ice cream/sweetie shops. Moscadini had a fish and chip shop, a thriving business. The first three kept very quiet but silly old Moscadini would go down the pub and tell all the lads about what cowards the English were and how brave the Italians were and often had a black eye to prove it! However his fish and chips were very good and the shop always busy because of food shortages. Until .. one day a man rushed in brandishing a fried mouse shouting that he had found it in his fish and chips. The shop emptied and stayed empty. People were not that hungry! Moscadini was later arrested and interned for the duration. It was a great shame for everybody.
Ice cream was banned because of the war, but one day Tazioli had the place in an uproar by selling ice cream. He was hauled into court and fined for his pains. Rinaldi and Vincenti had nice ice cream parlours but obeyed the law and did not have any bother.

---

---