▁better ▁future , ▁first ▁to ▁Al to ona , ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁then ▁on ▁to ▁Blue ▁Island , ▁Illinois . ▁Two ▁sons ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁R ip ac and ida ▁in ▁Blue ▁Island ▁have ▁become ▁famous : ▁box er ▁Tony ▁Must o , ▁who ▁fought ▁Joe ▁Louis ▁for ▁the ▁World ▁He avy weight ▁Title ▁on ▁ 8 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁Gary ▁Sin ise , ▁an ▁award - win ning ▁actor , ▁music ian ▁and ▁director , ▁who ▁co - f ounded ▁Chicago ' s ▁Ste ppen w olf ▁Theater ▁Company . ▁In ▁memory ▁of ▁the ▁trad itions ▁in ▁R ip ac and ida , ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Blue ▁Island ▁celebr ates ▁Saint ▁Don atus ▁of ▁Are z zo ▁with ▁its ▁Fe ast ▁of ▁St . ▁Don atus ▁every ▁year ▁in ▁August . ▁The ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁Physics ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁was ▁awarded ▁to ▁William ▁Donald ▁Phill ips ▁of ▁Pennsylvania , ▁whose ▁mother ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁R ip ac and ida ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 – 1 9 6 0 ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁R ip ac and ida ▁was ▁suffering ▁under ▁the ▁wr ath ▁of ▁Ben ito ▁M uss ol ini . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁residents ▁had ▁to ▁find ▁shelter ▁or ▁stay ▁in ▁nearby ▁c aves . ▁The ▁Naz is ▁circ led ▁all ▁around ▁the ▁town ▁to ▁find ▁all