Mario Alicata

Born May 9, 1918, in Reggio di Calabria; died Dec. 6, 1966, in Rome. Figure in the Italian workers’ movement, publicist, literary critic. In 1940 he graduated from the faculty of literature of the University of Rome. That same year he joined the Communist Party of Italy (PCI). During 1940–42 he was one of the leaders of the PCI’s underground organization in Rome. During 1943–45 he was an active participant in the Resistance. During 1943–44 and 1960–66 he was chief editor of the central organ of the PCI, the newspaper Unita. From 1946 he was a member of the central committee, in December 1956 he became a member of the leadership, and from 1966 he was a member of the Politburo of the PCI. After World War II he served as a deputy in all sessions of parliament. He was the author of research on the workers’ movement and the “Southern question.” As a literary critic, he worked mainly on problems of realism and neorealism in contemporary Italian literature.