In August 1920, Pio led the blessing of a flag for a group of local veterans on the feast of the Assumption, and who were developing close links to local fascists. Pio subsequently met with , a fascist politician from Foggia, and became his confessor and that of members of his militia. Luzzatto, suggests that Caradonna established a "praetorian guard" around Pio to protect him from removal by church authorities. An early biographer of Pio, Emanuele Brunatto, also mediated between Pio and the leaders of the growing Italian fascist movement. Brunatto later donated his locomotive manufacturing company to Pio, which boosted the purchase of stocks by shareholders." Brunatto's publisher, Giorgio Berlutti, had been an enthusiastic supporter of Mussolini's March on Rome, and used the biography to raise Pio's profile. It has been suggested that "a clerical-fascist mixture developed around Padre Pio". According to a German article quoting Luzzatto, but without giving the exact source of Luzzatto's words: "Pio also took a positive attitude towards Benito Mussolini.