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Victor Anthony Prezio

PFC in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : Co D

ASN#32809528

Born 1924 in NY, Died 1976

Artist

County of residence at enlistment: Bronx County, NY
Other residence(s): Bronx, NY in 1942
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: commercial artists
College education before the war: 1 year
Source: Travel Orders, 23d HQ, 29 August 1945; Bernie Mason Company D Roster; signature on NAZI Banner at hmtcli.org

Vic Prezio was born on March 21, 1924 in the Bronx, NY, the third of four children. His father, a store clerk, had been born in Italy, and the family lived in a neighborhood densely populated with Italian immigrants.

He attended college for a year, and then found a job with Street & Smith in New York City. The company was a publisher of dime novels, pulp fiction, and comic books, and Vic worked as an illustrator.

He registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, just after he turned 18, and enlisted on February 18, 1943. Like other New York City artists, he found a home in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion and served in Europe with the unit during the war. He was discharged on December 16, 1945.

After the war he continued his career as a commercial artist, and married Josephine Tondo on September 26, 1952. Little else is known about his personal life, but he went on to become one of the most prolific and underrated pulp magazine and dime novel cover illustrators of the post WWII era.

He painted many covers for men's adventure magazines, and worked for Dell, Gold Key, and Warren Publishing, among others. He created works with buxom, scantily clad women and dashing heroes, but also with science fiction and western themes. He also illustrated children's books.

A Google search finds dozens of his works, many of which have come up for auction in the last couple of years. A record was set for the sale of his art when his gouache on board piece "Corpses are My Business," a March 1961 cover illustration for Battle Cry magazine, sold for $9,375 at auction in Dallas on April 30, 2021.

Vic died on December 24, 1976 and is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, NY.

Sources:

1930 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30739689:6224?tid=&pid=&queryId=06c74a5d1b27918bac7fe70e7ee9b18c&_phsrc=QEe13&_phstart=successSource

1940 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/9026224:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=06c74a5d1b27918bac7fe70e7ee9b18c&_phsrc=QEe16&_phstart=successSource

1942 draft card

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/193934173:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=bc3be652b962e6636faede6040870981&_phsrc=QEe10&_phstart=successSource

1943 enlistment record

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=361339&tid=&pid=&queryId=bc3be652b962e6636faede6040870981&usePUB=true&_phsrc=QEe9&_phstart=successSource

1952 marriage record

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1364551:61406?tid=&pid=&queryId=86e6a2babe6e1b08e901398b45b190ad&_phsrc=QEe18&_phstart=successSource

1976 Social Security applications and claims index

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/40828084:60901?tid=&pid=&queryId=bc3be652b962e6636faede6040870981&_phsrc=QEe11&_phstart=successSource

1976 VA death record

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3543227:2441?tid=&pid=&queryId=06c74a5d1b27918bac7fe70e7ee9b18c&_phsrc=QEe15&_phstart=successSource

1976 Find a Grave record

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/223411208/victor-a.-prezio

American Pulps website - examples of his pulp art

https://americanpulps.com/the-pulp-art-of-vic-prezio/

Mutual Art website- examples of his art and some auction prices

https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Victor-Prezio/09D8BD23B81F6888/Artworks

Mutual Art website - "Corpses are my Business"

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Corpses-are-my-Business--Battle-Cry-cove/B3CC85B54407E2F5

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