PVT Lorenzo Joseph Cusumano

courtesy of Glenn

PVT Lorenzo Joseph Cusumano was born in Brooklyn, New York on 24 Mar 1917. He was the first of the 2 sons of Antonio and Marianna Antonella (Ferrara) Cusumano. Both parents were natives of Sciacco, Sicily. His father was a salesman and the family lived in Brooklyn before moving to Howards Beach, New York. Lorenzo married Blanche Katherine Schwab in September 1940 and the couple lived at 92-25 Silver Court in Ozone Park, New York. Lorenzo had had 3 years of high school and was working for Moe Pollard on Wall Street as a stock clerk. 

Lorenzo was drafted in November 1943 and after completing his basic military training was sent to England probably in July 1944. PVT Cusumano was transferred from the replacement depot to I Company 116th Infantry on 7 Aug 1944 when the unit was in the vicinity of Vire, France. He was with I Company when he suffered a severe bullet wound to the jaw. Despite being evacuated to a field hospital and treated, PVT Cusumano died of his wound on 26 Aug 1944.

PVT Cusumano was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York. 

Blanche remarried and died in 1992 and she was buried with Lorenzo. Lorenzo's younger brother, Angelo, was also drafted and served about a year in the U.S. Army before being discharged for severe hearing loss which he apparently had prior to being drafted.