Overview: Why would someone risk their own skin, and their family, to do the right thing and protect the life of another human being? My Italian Secret tells the story of cycling idol Gino Barteli, Dr. Giovanni Borromeo, and other courageous Italians who carried out ingenious schemes to rescue Jews, partisans and refugees from Nazi-occupied Italy.

DVD Verdict: The story of Gino Bartali, and the secret underground network he worked with, stands in for the stories of thousands of Italians who risked their own lives to save others from capture and death. As almost the entire continent was engulfed in a genocide, which took the lives of most Jews in Nazi occupied Europe (nearly 6 million people), more than 80% of Italys Jews survived.

Most of the rescuers, like Bartali, never sought recognition or reward. Few of those he helped knew his name or what role he played in their rescue. Bartali is a cycling legend, but his most daring triumph came when he risked his life over and over transporting fake identify documents in the frame of his bike for a secret underground working to save Jews threatened by Nazi extermination.

Personally, I never knew such detail of the effects of WWII in Italy. This is a must-see movie / must-read book for any historian regarding Italy and World War II, as well as those looking for the truth about the struggles of the Jewish people during the war. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.