Anthony Rutigliano

Anthony Neil Rutigliano was born on January 5th, 1932 in Manhattan, New York to Florence Chapman and Anthony Rutigliano. He was raised in Hell’s Kitchen on a street he always said was the very one American artist Edward Hopper immortalized in his 1930 painting of the neighborhood, Early Sunday Morning. In 1950, Tony, or Sonny as he was also known, joined the Air Force, shortly before marrying Mary Laronga in 1951, to whom he remained devoted until his passing, sixty-seven years later. Tony and Mary moved back to Queens, NY after Tony’s service during the Korean War, where they welcomed their two children, Anthony and Richard. Tony’s profession was as a mechanic, specializing in boiler, heating, and air-conditioning repair, but after work every day, Tony would return to his basement workshop and channel his mechanical craftsmanship and creative powers to make wonderful works of art, including metal sculptures, acrylic paintings, woodcarvings, and mixed-media work. Some of his pieces will be on display during his wake, this week.

Tony was a lifelong lover of the arts – not just visual works, but also musical, vocal, culinary (especially baking), film, and writing. He was a consummate wit, the author of short humorous poems and aphorisms, and a devout fan of heady crossword puzzles. He retired in 1995, and spent his time traveling, baking, golfing, and skillfully maintaining what was very possibly the largest and lushest backyard in the borough of Queens. He is survived by his wife, Mary, his sister, Elizabeth, and his two sons: Anthony J., his wife Karen, and their children, Meghan and Eugene; and Richard A., his wife Cynthia, and their children, Olivia and Mallory.