Peter Ercolano’s Biography

Peter Ercolano, in art Peter Echo, is the only son of Felice and Giovanna, two Italian tailors who immigrated to the United States in 1956.

Peter’s father, Felice (which in English means happy) belonged to a family of 7 brothers and sisters.Unable to afford school Felice worked in the village barbershop up to the age of 16 when he left his home town, San Giorgio a Liri (FR) Italy and moved to Rome where he learned the art of tailoring. He eventually became a high fashion tailor and opened his own atelier in Genova where he lived and worked for 16 years. During World War II he lost everything in Genova and thereafter moved to the U.S. to start a new life in Rochester, N.Y. where he obtained citizenship and worked in a tailor factory up to age of 65.
Peter’s mother, Giovanna lived in a small village (Morra De Sanctis – AV) and was given in bride to Felice by her father without knowing who her future husband was. They married in Italy and after a few months Giovanna joined her husband in the U.S. That was her first trip out of the village, crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone for two weeks on a passenger ship in tourist class not knowing a word of English bound for an unknown country. Once in the States she eventually learned English, obtained citizenship and worked in a clothing factory until 1973 when the family moved to Formia, Italy.