Hank Halio

 

Hank Halio was born on the Lower East Side of New York City to Sephardic immigrant parents from Ottoman Turkey and raised in Harlem and the East Bronx. In 1947, he married Phyllis Torres, daughter of Albert Torres, publisher and editor of the Ladino newspaper, La Vara.

In addition to a commitment to the military reserves that began as a private at the advent of World War II and which culminated in his retirement with the rank of Lt. Colonel, Hank enjoyed a fruitful career in the printing trade and the garment industry. His business endeavors took him from New York to Japan and other parts of the Far East.Beyond his military, business, and family activities, Hank found time to give of himself to various fraternal, social and religious organizations. He was a director of the Jewish Community Center of Bensonhurst; Chancellor Commander of George Gershwin Lodge #649, Knights of Pythias; an officer and director of the Sephardic Social Club of Florida; and served as editor of its newsletter for several years.

Having always been interested in his Sephardic heritage, Hank has conducted extensive research on that subject. Now retired to Florida, he devotes a good portion of his time to arousing the nostagia of the Sephardic Community with his column, LADINO REVERIES, spinning reminiscences of the Sephardim in days that were. His column appears in several Sephardic publications from the United States to New Zealand. In 1999 Hank's columns were published by the Foundation in a 256 page book entitled LADINO REVERIES.