In 1880, his family left Cosenza in Southern Italy and immigrated to New York City.
He was the oldest of seven children of Giovanni Fucilla and Maria Carmela De Marco.
One of his first works was ¨Our Italian surnames¨, published in Evanston in 1949, in which his knowledge of onomastics and dialectology are evidenced.
As a translator of Italian to English he showed a particular interest in the 18th century dramaturgist Pietro Metastasio.
He was the editor of Vicente García de la Huerta's novel ¨The Rachel¨, (Madrid, Anaya, 1965, republished by Catedra, 1981).