A powerful story of resilience, hope, and the bonds that unite us.
Could you imagine being sent alone on an ocean liner at just ten years old for an eight-day journey at sea, with only the hope of seeing your family again one day?
That's precisely what young Antonio Russo faces when he is placed on a ship in the Bay of Naples and sent from a small town in Italy into the abyss toward America, with nothing but the shirt on his back and a suitcase filled with salami and provolone cheese.
Tony struggles to fit in and often descends into a path of destruction. He adopts a tough-guy persona, acts impulsively, and frequently gets into fights and brawls, which ultimately lands him not only in the hospital but also in trouble with the law.
As fate would have it, he discovers the sport of wrestling, revealing a natural talent and a strong drive to excel, leading him to become one of America's winningest high school wrestling coaches.
Just as Rocky is not merely a story about boxing, Don't Cry in America is not simply a story about wrestling. While wrestling and Italian culture are interwoven throughout, this is an uplifting tale of resilience, hope, and the extraordinary yet complex bonds of family.
Autorentext
Antonio "Tony" Russo has been teaching and coaching in the state of Oregon for over thirty years. He was born in Roccarainola, Italy (a province of Naples), in 1940 and immigrated to the U.S. alone at the age of ten in 1951 with just the shirt on his back and salami and provolone cheese in his suitcase. Antonio graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland and eventually went on to graduate from Arizona State University. Tony was presented with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Lifetime Service to Wrestling award in 2003.