Basilone's mother, Theadora Bencivenga, was born in 1889 and grew up in Manville, New Jersey, but her parents, Carlo and Catrina, also came from Benevento. Basilone's parents met at a church gathering and married three years later. Basilone grew up in the nearby Raritan Town (now Borough of Raritan) where he attended St. Bernard Parochial School.

With its predecessor Band of Brothers being praised for its authentic look at World War II, many fans wonder how accurate is The Pacific, especially in regards to the story of John Basilone (John Seda).

During her time there she met John Basilone, a Marine and the first United States decorated World War II hero. They were married on July 7, 1944 and spent some time together before John returned to the South Pacific. He was killed on February 19, 1945 in an exchange of heavy gunfire on Iwo Jima.

John and Lena seemingly fell in love overnight. Just weeks after meeting, with Basilone’s inevitable return to the Pacific looming, the couple decided to get married on July 10, 1944 at St....

Today, in his hometown of Raritan, there are statues, buildings and roads named for Basilone. There is even a police dog in the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office named K9 Basilone. There are also numerous commemorations for Basilone around New Jersey and the country.