Finally, here is the list of Founding Members from 1921, taken from an official document of the time, sent to the Police Authority at that time.
dott. com. Francesco MONTI, cav. Giovanni NASTI, dr. Paolo DE FUSCO,
cav. Ettore OVAZZA, Raffaele STRIANO, cav. Giovanni VOLLONO,
Rag. Gaetano D'AURIA, Consul MARESCA, com. Gioacchino ROSA ROSA,
prof. Ugo SAFFIOTTI, lawyer Pietro ANGRISANO, eng. Alfonso MOSCA,
Joshua GAMBARDELLA, com. Giovanni SIGNORINI, com. Giosuè RAVONE,
lawyer Giuseppe COZZOLINO, notary Giuseppe FIENGA, cav. Giuseppe MANNARA,
cav. Francesco Paolo RUOCCO, cav. Francesco SALVATI, cav. Francesco BUONOCORE,
lawyer Luigi CANNAVALE, comm. Luigi DEL GAIZO, Gr. Uff. Carlo ENRIETTI.
Fifty-eight Ordinary Members followed.
The third event of a certain importance for the Club was the Rome-Tripoli raid, of Captain Vincenzo Sorrentino, rower and Gialloblù coach, reported by the entire national press and filmed by the Istituto Nazionale Luce.
At 11.45 a.m. on 2nd June 1930, at the helm of the single boat built in Livorno's Cantieri Ezio Carlesi, christened 'Stabia' for the occasion and with the motto 'Post fata resurgo', he set off from the landing stage on the Tiber at the Circolo Canottieri 'Aniene' in Rome to reach Tripoli.
It was launched in the presence of General Giorgio Vaccaro, president of the Aniene, and christened by Adelaide Ausiello, wife of the Castellmmare mayor.
She bore the pennant of the Circolo Nautico Stabia, and when she reached the waters of Castellammare she was escorted almost all the way to Sorrento by the Stabia's Otto Jole.
The feat aroused considerable admiration and helped make the name of the Circolo Nautico Stabia known nationally.
Capt. Vincenzo Sorrentino was awarded a large gold medal of the special federal coinage and diploma of the Royal Italian Rowing Federation by its president Admiral Luigi di Simbuy, who stated "we have informed the Partenopean Sectional Committee of this R.F.I.C. and the Fascio Nautico Stabia of this award".
Cav. Giovanni Vollono was followed as president of the Club by Consul Vincenzo Spinosa and again in 1936 by Giuseppe Cozzolino.
The latter gave a considerable boost to rowing sport, so much so that he set up a Rowing School: ' ... The main aim of this school is to extend the sport of rowing to all young people in Stabia who meet the physical and moral requirements'.
Memorable were, according to the town chronicles, the two days of rowing and sailing regattas organised by President Cozzolino on 29-30 August 1936 and 4-5 September the following year. For rowing there were 2 con, 4 con and 8 jole races, in which, in addition to Stabia, the Neapolitan clubs R.C.C. Italia, R.C. Canottieri Savoia, R.C. Canottieri Napoli, Circolo Nautico Giovinezza.
But alas, politics, as usual, loomed large.
In fact, the 'higher authorities' imposed, with an act of 20th July 1936, the modification of the 1921 Articles of Association, inserting in the 3rd paragraph of art. 38: 'The office of President shall be designated by the High Hierarchies of the National Fascist Party upon proposal of the Italian Rowing Federation, while the other offices, including the two Vice-Presidents, shall be designated by the President.
In fact, on 13th September 1938, Mr Cozzolino, the last president elected by the members, was forced to hand over to Dr Manlio Fusco, in 'compliance with Article 642 of the Disposition Sheet No. 52 of the National Fascist Party'.
And it is significant that Cozzolino was not present at the handover, but had himself represented by vice-president T.Col. Ing. Gian Guido Bordoli.
With a subsequent amendment to the articles of association, president Manlio Fusco also purged the nucleus of the founding members of 1921, with the following provision: 'Only members of the National Fascist Party can belong to the category of founders', with good peace for the Club's autonomy.
Fusco, however, had the merit of obtaining part of municipal land from the municipality for the construction of a Pallacorda court, as they used to say in times of linguistic autarchy. Today we would say a tennis court, which was built in 1939.
The last president, before the destruction of 1943, was Engineer Ferdinando Scioli.
But 'the war,' Dr. Imparato recalls, 'with its mourning and tragedies, did not exempt the Nautico from maintaining efficient life, as it had done until the declaration of hostilities on 10 June 1940.
Social and sporting activities were halted and brought to a standstill due to calls to arms, the emigration of most of the members to safer places, not targets of air raids, the fear that even Castellammare was a mirage of terrible bombardments. There were very few of us left, very many, to find ourselves in the Club in the evenings to be forgotten, for a few hours, of the daily stresses we suffered".
Then, following the well-known events of the war, since 8th May 1942 the Club had been occupied by the 426th Coastal Battalion for service needs and, after 8th September 1943, it was occupied by homeless people. Until 30th September 1943 it was finally requisitioned by the occupying British army 'for immediate use in the military service', by decree No. 1215/i.
But if this marked the end of social activities, sporting activities, in particular rowing, continued; not just because of the high regard in which this sport -rowing- was held by the British authorities.
In fact, as early as 26th August 1944, the allied command had authorised rowers to train in the stretch of water between Castellammare and Torre Annunziata with the two existing jolos, "they can come and go as they please, but care must be taken not to approach the ships anchored in the bay" and "during the hours of daylight."
Once the Allied occupation ended, on 14th June 1945 the Club was handed over to Cav. Raffaele Perna, the town's mayor, who returned it to the few remaining members.
