Alison Joy Dix

[newspaper article:]

Newark Evening News, Wednesday, January 19, 1944

Small Talk of the Town
Carla Gargiulo Is the Adopted Kid Sister of Allied Officers in Naples Area

The occupation of Naples by the Allied forces has brought the thrills of a lifetime for Carla Gargiulo. The 11-year-old granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Dix of South Orange lives at Hotel Cocumella, Sorrento, which is owned by her parents, Allison and Carlo Gargiulo.

The hotel has been taken over as a rest house for Allied officers and several have written the Dixes that they were so delighted to find a "real American little girl" they have adopted her as a sand-in for their own kid sisters. Carla was born in that country but she and her mother made frequent visits to the Dixes before the war.

The Dixes have received no civilian mail from Naples so the officers’ letters have brought them their first accounts of how the Gargiulo family fared during the Allied landing. They stayed in their home, which was lucky, as the battle never came nearer than 20 miles away Sorrento.

One letter tells of a musical evening at the Cocumella when Allison brought in a little orchestra of native talent and of the officers’ joy at joining in the singing of "God Bless America" whose piano score the Dixes sent Carla several months ago. Another tells of taking Carla on her first jeep ride and all stress the fact that the family are in good health and suffered no serious privations.

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