Robert Frank Dolcimascolo

Robert Frank Dolcimascolo was born on May 13, 1923, in South Beach, Staten Island. His parents immigrated from Lercara Friddi, a Providence of Palermo, Sicily in 1913. In 1942, he was working for the United States Government as a longshoreman in Stapleton Port of Embarkation. In October of 1942, he went to the draft board in Rosebank and volunteered to join the United States Navy. He was called to Whitehall Street and was sworn in January 1943, and sent to Sampson Naval Training camp base. There, he completed boot training and storekeeper’s school.

He was assigned to the USS ALCOR AD/AR-10 in Norfolk. He was then transferred to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and assigned to the USS OAHU ARG-6 repair ship. After being commissioned, he left for a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay. The ship was assigned to the pacific fleet and joined at Eniwetok Atoll in Marshall Islands. The ship repaired many various vessels. While aboard, Mr. Dolcimascolo was injured and sent to Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital. Upon his discharge from the Naval hospital, he was then assigned to Barge YF-755, which sailed to Shanghai, China, and tied up to buoys on Huangpu River with four other barges. Mr. Dolcimascolo oversaw plumbing, cigarettes, ice cream mixes and toothpaste among other supplies. He was honorably discharged on April 25, 1946. He received numerous medals and honors for his service including Sea Service, American Campaign, Overseas Service, among others.

On November 10, 1946, he married Elvira Picciotto and had two children: Barbara and Robert, Jr. He was a cutter for a company in Brooklyn for almost 20 years. He then worked for the NYCPD from 1964 to 1986. After retirement, they moved to Florida, and he and his wife traveled extensively. They were married for 70 years before her passing in 2016.