WWII effected many in Pennsylvania, as it was the center of much of the nation's steel production. Angelo Bufano lived in Lackawanna County, and as such it is likely that he lived in or near the city of Scranton. During WWII, Scranton was a major producer of coal and coal power. However, after the war the demand for coal switched to oil and gasoline and Scranton went through a major decline, a depression Bufano was never able to come home to.