Is Giuseppe Ressia ‘Joe the Tailor’?

In Black Flag 179 (1988-02-01) Tone said “When I first came to Anarchism my grandfather jokingly called me ‘a Joe the Tailor’: is it an obscure Italian expression or was he someone as famous as (say) Malatesta?” [see https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/g79fjf ]

In Alfio Bernabei’s Esuli ed emigrati italiani nel Regno Unito (1920-1940) it states Decio Anzani’s predecessor as head of the London chapter of the LIDU was “Ressia (a socialist)” and “Giuseppe Ressia was a tailor born in Vercelli and he used his home at 121 Malden Road as the LIDU base prior to handing the job over to Decio.” (p. 102).

It’s possible Giuseppe Ressia is Joe the Tailor. We’ll let you know if we hear more.

KSL March 2024