Bruno Matarazzo, 77, of Wethersfield, beloved husband of Linda (Tine) Matarazzo, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2019 at Hartford Hospital after suffering a stroke. Bruno was born on May 5, 1941 in Benghazi, Libya and was the son of the late Gaetano and Vita (Internicola) Matarazzo. He and his family were forced out of their homes during the North African Campaign during World War II. The family was sent to Palazzolo, Sicily. He attended school only for the first grade and was forced to work to help support the family. Upon leaving school, his job was to ride around on a bicycle with a basket attached, filled with bread that he sold to the town’s families. In search of a better life, he immigrated to the United Stated in 1959. He met his beloved Linda and they married on April 11, 1964.
Bruno was the definition of a hardworking man, he started working at the age of 6 and didn’t stop until a few years ago. He was a longtime business owner who owned and operated Bruno’s Auto Body, originally located for 17 years on New Park Avenue in Hartford, then relocating to Enfield where he operated it for more than 30 years. In addition, in 1975 he opened and operated Casa Mia Restaurant on Franklin Avenue in Hartford, a fine dining restaurant that was a delicious staple in Hartford’s South End.
When not working, he enjoyed gardening. He converted much of his backyard into a garden that would produce bushels of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, taddi and lettuce that he enjoyed sharing with neighbors, family and friends. He took meticulous care of the garden, pulling up every weed by hand.
In addition to his beloved wife, he leaves his daughters Vita Matarazzo of Wethersfield and Melinda Guglietta and her husband Michael of Shrewsbury, Mass., and his son Bruno Matarazzo, Jr. of Torrington, his two grandsons, Benjamin and Matthew Guglietta; a special niece and nephew, Victoria (Pasquale) Iudiciani and Anthony Paoletti and their children, Pasquale and Angela Iudiciani and Julia and Peter Paoletti along with his many brothers and sisters in-law, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his five siblings, Mario, Guido, Lina and her late husband Salvatore Friddura, Maria and Silvana and her late husband, Paul Paoletti.
Funeral services will leave at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 11th from the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Christ the King Parish (Corpus Christi Church), 601 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield. Burial will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. The family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday, April 10th from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral chapel. Bruno’s family would also like to thank the staff of Apple Rehab in Rocky Hill along with the nurses of Hartford Hospital ICU and N-11 for their dedicated care and compassion. Memorial donations in Bruno’s name may be made to the Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance Association, 206 Prospect Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.
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