Joseph Mazzarella, 90, A True Pioneer
Family and friends are mourning the loss of Joseph Mazzarella, who came to the U.S. from Italy in 1960, raised a family, and became a pillar of his community.
“Our dad was a true pioneer. He bravely left his native land, leaving his parents and siblings behind to pursue a better life for himself, his wife, and his future family, said his son, Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella. “At twenty-six years old, without speaking the language, he began a life of sacrifice and hard work here in this country. Sixty-four years later, he left the legacy of a family with a good foundation to succeed, prosper, and establish solid families of their own. His is a story of an immigrant in search of the American dream with an ending from which we can learn. Our dad was a hero to all who knew him.”
“Brother Knight Joseph Mazzarella was the last surviving charter member of our Council,” said Frank DeNatale, Jr, the current Grand Knight of the James V. Kavanaugh Knights of Columbus in Mastic. “He was an important figure in our council's many years of success in serving the community he loved. We owe him a great deal of gratitude.”
Mazzarella was born in 1933 in Grassano, a small mountain village in southern Italy. His family relocated to the port city of Taranto, in the region of Puglia, where he grew up. They were forced to temporarily travel back into the mountains as bombings in the port were frequent during World War II. He served in the Italian Army and then spent his early life teaching in an elementary school.
He met his wife Betty by chance, his family recounted. She was the child of parents who emigrated to the United States, and as a young girl, she would accompany her mom when she returned to Italy on occasion to visit family. It was there that Joe would meet his future bride. They were married in Taranto in 1959, and after spending a year living in Italy, they decided to make a life for themselves in the United States.
The Mazzarella’s began their married lives in East New York, where Betty’s family owned a grocery store. They also owned a home in Shirley where they would spend weekends and summers. Joe’s experience living in rural Italy near the sea drew him to Long Island and he decided that is where he wanted to be. They bought their own home on the same block as Betty’s parents and many of her siblings and began their family.
Joe worked at the Bohack supermarket in Shirley for several years before being hired by Brookhaven National Lab. There, he had a successful career for over 27 years until his retirement. In addition to the Knights of Columbus, he served as an usher at Saint John the Evangelist Church in Center Moriches for 30 years.
Joe Mazzarella was a gentle and compassionate man who had a special way of making everyone feel loved, his family said. He had a passion for the sea and all it had to offer. He enjoyed cooking, especially on Christmas Eve, preparing all the Italian specialties. He loved his family and family gatherings most of all. “My Uncle Joe was a man of integrity and high intellect, yet humble and practical with an insatiable love of life, family, and his faith,” said his nephew, Frank Ragone.
Joe was predeceased by Betty in 2012 and is survived by his two sons, James (Mary) of Moriches and Joseph (Margaret) of Shirley. He has four grandchildren: Elizabeth Haase (Derek), Marissa, Sarah, and Joseph. He has two great-grandchildren, Lucca and Lorenzo, both children of his granddaughter Elizabeth.
He also has four living siblings in Italy: Tina, Litzia, Geno, and Rosanna. His brother Franco predeceased him. He was a beloved uncle of many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews in Italy and the U.S.