The Biography of Elvira Ruocco  (by Elvira Ruocco)  Chapter 8

Change of office

In the afternoon in which for the first time I put a foothold in the External Relations Press Management at the first floor of the Management Centre, it was pouring, outside it was dark, but in that place there was a quite wasteful floodlightning. All the neon lamps were on, there was a lot of desks, many colleagues, all in all a beautiful bustle.
I was welcomed by the secretary Ortensia Salamini, who kindly told me to wait that the person in charge of the Management, dr. Camillo Marchetti, had got rid of a meeting. I sat down in the lounge and noticed that on the walls there were old advertising prints, all gorgeous and signed by great artists like Molino and Dudovich, together with two large framed photographs: Nuvolari winner at the 1930 Mille Miglia and Nino Farina on the Alfetta 158, World Champion in 1950.

I liked that office, I felt that I would have had a good time even though I knew that unfortunately it would have been just a maternity substitution because the Personnel Management had communicated me that it would had been a transient job until one of the co-workers of dr. Franco Perugina who attended in the Press Office had returned. Meanwhile, they were seeking for me a definitive position.
When I got in the dr. Marchetti’s office, after a long wait during which I was able to watch my colleagues, I was hit by the distinction and kindness of the person who was lending me his hand and making feel at my ease by pointing at the chair before him. It was a short chat which calmed me down and let me appreciate even more that office, in short he impressed me very favourably as still today I have a very sharp memory of my first meeting with dr.Marchetti.
At the end of the interview, Ortensia^* took me to the office of dr. Quagliano, whom I would have had worked with till the end of Febrauary 1975.
I remember that I was spending almost all the day filling in forms and writing reports, I did not ask to do more also because the Damocles sword of substitution was hanging on my head. Neve say die in your life! As a matter of fact, an event that changed the state of affairs happened.
The new president, dr. Cortesi (2/10/74 – 30/6/1978), had arranged that also a foreign press review was prepared and there already was the person who would have had to take care of it, dr. Cornelis Verweij (of Dutch origin, who could speak even four languages), who would have had to prepare every day, after 4:00 p.m., a summary of the foreign press with a brief résumé of the articles of interest for the Company, and, twice a week, a summary of those appeared on magazines.
In a note dated February 19, 1975 addressed to the Personnel Management, dr. Marchetti illustrated the new activity requested by the president, reporting on details and closing with the following request:
“In order to be able to start as soon as possible with the activity in the Subject, requested by the president, we ask to obtain the definitive assignment of Ms. Elvira Rocco who currently substitutes Ms. Di Milia whose return is expected by the 21/3/75 and who, in addition to already knowing our activities and being acclimatized in the service, has demonstrated to hold good endowments of seriousness and laboriousness”.
It was done!

^(*)Ortensia, unfortunately has left us last year after a long disease, but she will always be reminded by her colleagues with affection and esteem.

Elvira Ruocco