Mario Zacchigna

Born 12/4/1927 in Umago, Istria (Italy), the 5th child of Biagio and Giovanna Zacchigna, from 17 generations of artisan wood workers, Mario was known to be a gifted carpenter at a very young age. He made his first dove-tailed drawer at the tender age of 5. And he earned the right to use his father’s tools at a very young age.

Mario’s childhood was marked by WWII, a very dark time in northern Italy. Mussolini had joined Hitler in 1937, when Mario was 10 years old.

As the years passed, Mario continued to grow as a woodworker being trained by his father and uncle.

In 1943, at the age of 15, while he was still young and growing, Mario was befallen by an accident on a truck carrying lumber, crushing his left ankle. He was in the hospital in a cast for more than 6 months. Fortunately, he was able to keep his leg, but walked with a limp.

This unfortunate accident was to become a blessing when he became of age, when young Italian men were conscripted, against their will, to join the Nazi’s. Mario, now 16, intentionally using 2 crutches, for effect, was able to avoid being conscripted, when many of his friends were not as lucky. Toward the end of the war, when things were getting dire for the Axis powers, the Nazi’s needed anyone. And Mario found himself, hiding in attics and on rooftops, as his home was being searched to find him.

Mario became a prized woodcraftsman, working for a company owned by Frandoli; and yet, he continued to earn pauper’s wages, for this man who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of him. Mario continued his trade education in trade school in Italy as he worked, honing his trade.

In 1947, the Istrian people were “liberated”, and the Free Territory of Trieste was formed, which lasted 7 years. Given the political unrest, many felt that they were no longer welcome, and were considered displaced persons, including Mario. Then, in 1954, The free Territory of Trieste was divided, and the Istrian portion was given to Stalin to form Yugoslavia.

In 1951, Mario had the opportunity to apply for asylum, as a displaced person, to immigrate to the United States. He was denied in early 1952. He tried to find out what had happened. Mario met with a soldier friend, in the Italian Army, who was able to access Dad’s file, and discovered a yellow paper, indicating to deny a visa for Mario to leave Italy because of his professional status.

On October 4, 1952, Mario met the love of his life, Antonia, at a dance hall in Trieste, Italy. They soon both discovered that they really enjoyed each other’s company and weren’t so much into dancing, so they continued their courtship elsewhere.

Mario and Antonia knew that they would never get married until they were able to find a place that they could afford. And they couldn’t afford any place in Italy.

The soldier friend, who had access to Mario’s file, pulled the yellow sheet from his file and told Mario to put in the request to immigrate to the United States again.

In late May 1955, Mario’s visa was granted. He quietly told Antonia and asked her to marry him. They quietly submitted the Banns of Marriage, with the priest in agreement, so they could be married without anyone knowing ahead of time. As the story goes, people were asking who the Antonia and Mario in the banns were and if they were getting married, and they denied it.

They got their marriage license and Antonia’s landlady made her wedding dress. Mario and Antonia were married in mid-June 1955. Mario did not stay for the reception, but left right after the pictures were taken, on a US Airforce plane for the United States, for fear of being stopped.

Initially, they thought that Antonia would get a visa in 6 months, but it ended up taking much longer than they expected.

Mario settled in the Buffalo area, staying with his brother Luciano and his wife, got work as a carpenter and started saving money for Antonia to join him. He attended night classes to learn English and for naturalization classes for American Citizenship.

2 ½ years later, Mario renovated and rented an apartment on 15th Street, in Buffalo. Antonia arrived by boat to NYC, dreadfully seasick and glad to be on dry land. They spent a few days in NYC and eventually Antonia told him that she just wanted to go home, although she had never seen it.

10 months later, their eldest child, Walter was born. They easily made friends with Mary and Patsy Daddario, who acted as surrogate grandparents to their child. Mario would work long hours to provide for his family, and Antonia knew how to stretch a dollar amazingly to make their finances work. It wasn’t easy, but through perseverance and tenacity, they built a new life in Buffalo.

In 1960, with Antonia pregnant with her 2nd child, Mario and Antonia wanted to take the risk to invest their savings into a building their first home, Mario’s first of many, on Wickham Drive, in Williamsville (from old farmland), what would become the bedroom community of Buffalo. One major hurdle was remedied by Bill Heger, one of Mario’s employers, who guaranteed the loan for the house, so that he could built it. The house was completed in October of 1960. The following spring, Laura was born.

Everyone of the neighbors was very welcoming, but there was one neighbor that made a derogatory comment “there goes the neighborhood” right in front of Mario’s son, Walter. But this didn’t deter Mario. He knew who he was, and used that comment as fuel to drive him towards the Zacchignas’ dream of building a great life together, earning respect by their example.

They didn’t have much and they worked hard to build a life here. They insisted on learning English, because “we are Americans and proud of it”. And although neither of them had an advanced education, they worked to raise their children in one of the best communities in the area, stretching every dollar that they made.

In the early 1960’s, the neighborhood was full of kids playing, and 2 kids formed a friendship. Walter met his first lifetime friends, Rita and Patti. What resulted from that friendship, was a strong family friendship of Antonia and Bea Romano, And Mario and Len. A bond that would last decades...with the children all together living just 2 doors away on The Paddock. And their home became a place where the neighborhood kids would hang out, because Ann created an inviting and welcoming home for everyone, and a structure where everyone knew they were safe and loved.

In 1965, with Antonia pregnant with her youngest, Mario and Antonia, decided to take another risk and start building houses while Mario was continuing working his trade as a carpenter for various other builders. They had some success and decided to create “Mario Zacchigna Builder’s Incorporated”,

Their youngest, Joanne, was born the following winter.

Life was a real financial struggle, with many obstacles that in their way. Things were very slow going but they persevered and built several homes and made it work.

In 1975, Mario and Ann took a huge risk and built a luxury custom home (“the castle”) and it didn’t sell for many, many, months. So, they put their own home on the market, and it sold first. Shortly after that, the castle sold, at a substantial discount; and Mario built himself a new home, less than 1/8 mile away. Within a year, our new home sold again, and he built yet another home for the family within the same subdivision.

Mario was working hard as a carpenter, and builder designing homes and Antonia was handling the financial side. They were a solid team. All the while raising their 3 children. The children all worked in the business; some cleaning newly built homes Mario created on the drawing board, and built with the high quality that came to be known as a Mario Zacchigna Home.

Mario and Antonia went on to expand the business to include developing with Meadow Lakes in the mid 1980s, when the business really took off; and Spaulding Lake in the late 1980s.

During all this time, Mario and Ann kept an enduring friendship with the Romano family, with every holiday celebrated jointly, card parties and celebrations of milestones of their children. And with other family friends, Randy, Chuck and their families.

Mario and Ann taught us all the meaning of integrity and pride in a job well done and standing by your work. Mario was a driven man and a sensitive soul. A man who is not afraid to show his depth of feeling and love for his family, especially his kids. He never considered it un-masculine to show his feelings. And when his middle child decided that she was going to become a doctor, he believed in her, making a deal with her to build an extra home each semester to pay for college and then for medical school tuition. His deal: You want it? Work hard for it. And I will too!

The friendship between the Zacchigna and Romano families solidified over the years, becoming an extended family. Antonia’s and Bea’s friendship lasted 47 years until Bea passed.

After his beloved Antonia died in the winter of 2016, Mario was never the same. Always remembering his beloved and missing her so. In the last days, the hospice nurse told his children that Mario saw his beloved Ann and it was getting close.

Mario is now with his beloved and finally at peace.

Mario is survived by his 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 5 close friends of his children who consider him a father figure.

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Mario ZACCHIGNA, age 94, of Palm Harbor, Florida passed away on Saturday, June 25, 2022. Mario was born December 4, 1927 in Umago, Istria, Italy.

Born from 17 generations of artisan wood workers, Mario was recognized to be a gifted carpenter from a very young age. Mario is best known for his work as a prized woodcraftsman, builder and developer in the Buffalo, NY area.

Having survived WWII as a child, Mario met the love of his life, Antonia in 1952. They were married in 1955 in Italy, shortly after Mario received his visa to immigrate to the United States. Antonia followed, obtaining her visa 2.5 years later, and they created their new life in Buffalo.

Over the years Mario and Antonia created, struggled, and eventually thrived in their business: Mario Zacchigna Home Builder Inc. building numerous well sought-after homes in the Amherst/Clarence area, earning the reputation for quality.

They raised 3 children, all with advanced graduate degrees.

Mario is predeceased by his wife, Antonia and his closest friends, Leonard and Bea Romano. He is survived by his children, Walter, Laura and Joanne and 4 grandchildren, as well as several lifelong friends of his children who have come to think of Mario as a father figure.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sylvanabbey.com for the ZACCHIGNA family.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to https://suncoasthospice.org/donate/