Aurelius Battaglia was born in 1910 from emigrants of Cefalù (Sicily). He graduated from the Corcoran Art School of Washington Dc.

 In 1934  Public work of Art Project of Civil Works Administration commissioned him the murales of Mount Pleasant Library. He worked  for  Walt Disney' studios from 1937 to 1941. In  1940 he drew Mickey Mouse. He was drawer and writer of Pinocchio (1940) and Dumbo (1941).

From 1956 to 1957 he worked for UPA ( Gerald Mc Boing Boing Show).

He was illustrator of many children books published by Random House and Merrygold Press (NY).He also illustrated a book of American songs  with arrangements by Norman Lloyd.

He spent the second half of his life in Provincetown (MA), a town of fishermen that in that period was full of artist  who was coming from all the States.

He died in Provincetownin1984.