Dagghiciello
Reader Engagement Forum

     Growing up as a military brat meant a life in constant motion, yet my truest memories reside in the summers spent with family on my grandparents' north-central Indiana farm. That rural upbringing remains the core of who I am.
     In late 1969, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, embarking on diverse assignments that took me from the South Pacific to the Northern Great Plains. Eventually, my journey led to a pivotal posting at the Allied Forces Southern Europe headquarters in Naples, Italy.
     It was there, on a New Year’s Eve, that I met a vibrant local woman who would change my life. Over the next year, she introduced me to the rich tapestry of Neapolitan culture, and I fell deeply in love with both her and her heritage. We wed, raised our son, and spent four decades exploring every corner of Europe together.
     Following my military service and a subsequent tenure with the federal government, I founded a successful firm specializing in security systems design for architects and engineers. However, health challenges led me to close the business in 2024. Today, I am proud to be a two-year cancer survivor.
     Though I currently reside near the Ventura coast with my wonderful wife and our cat, my heart will always belong to Napoli.

     During the creation of my screenplay, Before Capri, my sister-in-law often checked in on my progress, affectionately calling me ‘Dagghiciello.’ I adopted this pen name in her memory; it is a term of endearment that translates to ‘My dear little Doug.’