Angelo A. Amato and the Power of Unions: The life of an East Boston Italian in post-war Japan, Massachusetts politics and unions

A rare memoir of a handsome young Italian-American soldier stationed in Japan during World War II who fell in love with a Japanese beauty. In order to bring her to the U.S. during a time when the nation hated all things Japanese, Angelo Amato repeatedly petitioned his congressman, John F. Kennedy. The bill sponsored by JFK to allow the entry of Kimiko Yamaguchi into the United States was signed by President Harry Truman and is just one part of a dramatic love story. As a veteran back home in East Boston, Amato rejoined his Sicilian family, worked for the state and built a long career as a union leader and civil engineer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Works. Amato was often heard to say, “I have always felt that I have an Angel assigned to me personally who protects me.” This is his story.