He was born in Petrizzi, Calabria on the September 29, 1925, as the second born child to Francesco and Maria, with two sisters Giuseppina and Gianna.

His moral courage, resilience, tenacity, and compassion gave him a gentleness can only be described as a strong hand with a soft touch. These attributes assisted him in overcoming many adversities and living a long and fruitful life.

It was in 1939 that WWII began, Tony was only 14 years old and his family were faced with the tragic loss of his beloved sister Giuseppina. This is when he became the man that were to take care of his mother and younger sister. Living through the war with the loss of a sibling and absence of a father was extremely hard. Tony recounted vivid memories, being part of the crowd who were addressed by Mussolini.

Earning small amounts of money as a tailor with the shortage of cotton was not enough to sustain a living, so it was then at the age of 15 years old that 'Barber Tony' was born with the opening of his tiny barber shop in his home town of Petrizzi - His only aspiration was to support his mother and sister. It was in 1948 at the age of 23 that Tony arrived in Sydney with his mother and sister to finally be reunited with his father Francesco.

Upon Tony's arrival he settled in Griffith and held his first job as a barber at Evans sports on Banna Ave, he was also commuting to and from Sydney where he worked at Elizabeth french salon. Between Griffith and Sydney he would wow his co-workers and clientele with his impressive scissor work and European flair. A true gentleman and "maestro", mastering the art of barbering and ladies hair, all the while possessing a charismatic and kind nature that made each of his clients feel unique.

Tony spent the next few years working very hard and enjoying all that Australia had to offer, carrying with him his old world class - always dressed impeccably in a suit and tie. His character allowed him to embrace day to day living finding wonder in everybody he met.

1957 was a significant year for Tony, he along side his father completed their art deco style shopfronts which are now heritage listed, and opened salon Battaglia and Battaglia liquor store. He also met his wife the very beautiful Lina Bortolin. They married in Griffith in 1959 and by 1963 their family was complete with their son, Frank and daughter Olga.

Being the innovative man he was, in addition to Battaglia liquor store, Tony envisaged the largest wine cellar in the Riverina to be positioned directly underneath his shopfronts, with the grand name 'Cave Royale'. It was here he sold imported and local wines in a locale that would live up to it's name. In this time he witnessed the cultural and social revolution of the world and made his mark on the top block of Banna Ave, a well-known pioneer of Griffith, and icon.

Tony truly reveled in his hey days, and was a social entrepreneur who found great pleasure in connecting with people from all walks of life. He took pride in treating everyone equally without judgement or prejudice. Many migrants that were new to town knew Tony was the man to ask about gaining employment and finding a place to live. He was always able to put himself in others shoes and their stories of hardships resonated with him.

Tony was a very knowledgeable man, who had a solution to every problem and had concrete convictions. A jack of all trades, there was not much he could not fix. He kept himself busy on weekends with his second barbershop in Yenda, maintaining his properties and enjoying time with family especially on a Sunday at his small hobby farm at Lake Wyangan.

Tony's love for barbering and connecting with the community kept him busy right up till the age of 92 years old. "Carry on!" was one of his favourite phrases, and he certainly did so! By maintaining a curious mind, a passion for life, people, art, creativity, and all things mysterious. Tony was forever learning, humble enough to be the student, yet wise enough to be a teacher. He lived life on his own terms and with no fear.

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