From War-Torn Italy to Ridgewood

Dr. Salvatore Forcina was born into the upheaval of World War II in Scauri, Italy. Some of his earliest memories were passed down through family stories—stories of fear, displacement, and endurance. His village, like many others, was forced to flee as war swept through the region. Families hid in the mountains, living in makeshift shelters built from shrubs and bushes, without medicine, adequate clothing, or sanitation.

Early Days

“Life was difficult,” Forcina recalls. “We lived outside, in shacks made of shrubs and bushes. Severe lice infestations required the shacks be burnt down and rebuilt every two weeks.” These early experiences planted the seeds of resilience that would define his life.

At eight years old, Dr. Forcina left Italy with his family to start a new life in Argentina—a country that was foreign in every way. The language, culture, and customs were unfamiliar, and the family arrived with no support system. His father had emigrated two years earlier in search of work, leaving Forcina, his mother, and baby brother behind during a period of profound uncertainty. When they finally reunited, the promise of safety came with new challenges.

Argentina offered distance from war but not ease. “We were very isolated,” he says. “We had no friends or family. My father suffered from what we now know as PTSD, and this made life more difficult for my younger brother and me.” His mother, navigating a new country alone with two young children, bore a heavy burden.

The family rented a room from an elderly Italian couple, and he was under constant pressure to avoid the loud, rambunctious behavior typical of young children. His parents wanted to ensure their living arrangements were not jeopardized by disrupting their landlords. Like many young boys, he longed to play, finding brief joy by fashioning a soccer ball out of socks and newspaper and kicking it around the unpaved streets.

Education, however, would become both his challenge and his escape. Forcina spent much of his youth in a militant boarding school run by Redemptorist priests. He was permitted to return home only for two weeks each year. Discipline was swift and unforgiving, and his education was limited.

“I became extremely introverted and grew to lack any confidence,” he says. Later, he would discover the academic gaps when he was forced to repeat several grades, despite having already lost years due to migration.

The Pull of Education

Still, ambition quietly took root. Against long odds and with a language barrier and no advantageous personal connections, he earned his medical degree in Argentina by studying relentlessly. He borrowed textbooks from classmates because he could not afford his own. Yet even with that achievement, opportunity remained limited, and he did not envision a successful future by staying in Argentina. After graduation, he briefly returned to Italy to specialize, but the familiar limitations pushed him onward once more—this time to the United States.

In 1969, at 28 years old, Dr. Forcina arrived in America with a medical degree not recognized in the U.S. and without knowing English. Long before Google Translate, Forcina persisted in his studies, poring over massive medical textbooks in a language he was still learning.

“It took me three years and various attempts to learn English and the concept of answering multiple-choice questions,” he says, before finally passing the Foreign Medical Graduate exam. That milestone opened the door to internships and residencies, followed by five years of surgical training. But it was not just the language that posed a barrier.

“Even though you can learn to speak a language, it takes time to learn to express yourself in a proper, cultural way.”

The struggle, however, sharpened his determination. Along the way, he encountered many immigrants whose medical dreams ended when they could not clear the same hurdles. “I realized how lucky I was to be able to continue pursuing the American Dream,” he reflects.

Building a Career

Dr. Forcina’s career flourished. Through years of persistence, he built a reputation grounded in skill, compassion, and patient-centered care. His peers eventually elected him Chief of Surgery at Holy Name and Meadowlands Hospital—a moment of profound significance.

“To be voted and elected by my peers was a tremendous accomplishment for my family and me,” he says. “Being trusted to care for fellow doctors’ and staff members’ families was one of my proudest validations.”

Forcina defines the American Dream not as ease or entitlement, but as the realization of inner potential. “In America, our system makes one’s own personal ceiling limitless,” he says. “You only need yourself. Never give up. It will take years, and many failures, but if you stay determined, you can and will succeed.” He likens it to climbing Mount Everest—arduous, painful, but transformative.

That philosophy of perseverance and common sense runs throughout his life and his memoir, “The American Doctor.”

In a world increasingly focused on immediacy, he emphasizes patience and long-term effort. “There is no immediate gratification,” he says. “You will fall down more than once, but you have to keep picking yourself up and trying.”

Ridgewood became home when Dr. Forcina and his wife sought a community where both their careers and their families could thrive. Drawn by colleagues, proximity to his work, and the town’s character, they found more than a place to live. “It was a privilege to have found a beautiful town in which my family thrived,” he says, recalling years spent enjoying neighbors, shops, and restaurants.

When readers close the final page of “The American Doctor,” Dr. Forcina hopes they walk away inspired. His story is not meant to impress, but to encourage. “If I did it without means or connections,” he says, “I don’t see why anyone can’t do the same or even better.”

From war-torn mountains to operating rooms in New Jersey, Dr. Salvatore Forcina’s life stands as a testament to resilience, discipline, and the enduring power of hope—proof that even the most arduous journeys can succeed with determination and hard work.

His extraordinary story reminds us that perseverance, purpose, and hope can be transformational.

Catch Legacy Makers Inside Success production’s portrayal of Dr. Forcina’s story on the insidesucess.tv app or website or on Dr. Forcina’s website at www.salforcina.com. It will also be available on Amazon Prime soon.

Photographs by Adam Paray