FWIW, Italian air marshal Italo Balbo led a formation of Savoiia-Marchetti flying boats on a grand tour of the Western Hemisphere that included the U.S. Later on FDR awarded Balbo the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Balbo was not the worst of the Fascisti. He opposed Italy allying with the Nazis & spoke out against the persecution of the Jews. Killed when his plane was shot down near Tripoli by `friendly fire’ in 1940.
Interesting ! :-)