Nelusco Chiocchi turns 100: the Italian who escaped WWII conscription while four brothers fought

Nelusco Chiocchi, a 100-year-old Italian man from Livorno, celebrated his birthday on October 1, 2026, by recounting how he avoided military service in World War II because four of his five brothers were already fighting at the front. Chiocchi, born in 1926, was exempted from conscription along with his younger brother due to his family's sacrifice, and remarkably, all four brothers returned home safely. During the war, he worked in a bakery on Via Paolo Lilla, making bread for the army, and often fled to nearby countryside to escape bombing raids. He vividly remembers the arrival of American forces in Livorno, describing his joy at receiving food, chocolate, and cigarettes. His daughter Donatella attributes his longevity to a disciplined lifestyle, noting he never smoked or drank alcohol.