LEONARD BUFFETTA was born on August 25, 1918 in Pennsylvania to Louis and Faustina Buffetta, coming after Theodore and Louise. A daughter, Mary, and a son Enrico were also born in Pennsylvania prior to the family's coming to New Jersey, prior to the birth of another daughter, Gloria, around 1926. Two more children were born in Camden, son Colombo and daughter Anna Buffetta. When the Census was enumerated in 1940, the Buffetta family had moved to 604 Point Street in North Camden.

On November 16, 1940 Leonard Buffetta was one of the first 17 men who were drafted into the United States Army when the draft was re-instituted in anticipation of America's entry into World War II. He served in the Southwest Pacific as a Corporal with Company A, 47th Engineers Construction Battalion, finishing the war in Okinawa.

Leonard Buffetta was honorably discharges in 1946. He then returned to Camden and his family on Point Street. He was still living in the family home, and working in a Camden supermarket, when he committed suicide on August 25, 1951.

Leonard Buffetta took his own life, another one of far too many soldiers, sailors, and airmen who returned to civilian life after World War II with

psychological problems. Locally, the many suicides of veterans and active personnel in Camden and South Jersey, and violent crimes such as the Howard Unruh incident in 1949, where a combat veteran with undiagnosed schizophrenia went on a shooting spree that took 13 lives were just the tip of the iceberg. When Leonard Buffetta took his life on August of 1951, the Veterans Administration was finally fully engaged in a massive hospital-building and hiring in response. There were 97 VA hospitals in operation in 1946. By 1950 there were 151, and as of November 30, 1952, the VA had 541 hospitals, regional offices and other field stations. The problem had been recognized long before the end of the war, however it did take time to build hospitals and train doctors, many of whom turned out to be veterans who had returned from World War II and received their education courtesy of the G.I. Bill. 

Leonard Buffetta was buried in the Soldier's Row at New Camden Cemetery. The Buffetta family was still living on Point Street as late as 1980. Leonard Buffetta's nephew, Louis Buffetta, served for 20 years with the Camden Police Department.