The only son of six children, John Damore was born in Berwyn, Illinois, to Lorenzo and Teresa Latoria Damore. Lorenzo emigrated from Bari, Italy, and Teresa was born in Franklin Park. They and their 19 children were recognized at the 1933-34 World’s Fair in Chicago as the largest Italian family in the United States.
Damore thrived in his large, loving family, spending every weekend on his grandparents’ farm. “Everybody worked on the farm when they were old enough,” Damore says. “We used to go up there every Saturday. My parents would leave us there.” He remembers the children all squeezing together to fit on the bed. His parents returned the next day and several families shared Sunday dinner together. “I was very young at the time, but I can remember at least 20 people every weekend,” Damore says.
