Leo Alfano

Leonardo ”Leo” Alfano was born July 31st, 1928, in a tenement building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan the third son of Antonio and Vincenza (nee Palazzolo) Italian immigrants from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily.

As a child growing up during the depression he shined shoes on the Bowery to help his family. He left school in 1944 to seek full time employment. For the next eight years he worked various jobs including a needle factory, a window display fabrication company where he began to develop his carpentry skills, also a blackboard fabrication and installation company as well as a company that produced and assembled elevator cabs. In 1952 he was hired as a Mechanics Helper with the Metropolitan Transit Authority where he continued to work until 1964. He took a job offering with the New York City Board of Education as a Carpenter that same year. He retired in 1990 after thirty-eight years of City service.

In 1958 he married Marie (nee Ervolino). They resided briefly in Borough Park, Brooklyn where their first child Anthony was born. In 1960 they moved to the Kensington area where their second child Janet was born. In 1970 the family moved to Flushing, Queens where they lived in their first home on Oak Avenue. In 1985 a second house was purchased on 159th Street where Leo and Marie lived happily on the same block, where his wife’s four other sisters had homes, until Marie’s passing in 2000.

In 2002 Leo moved to Carmel, Indiana to be near to his daughter where he resided until 2016. He subsequently relocated to live with his daughter in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2019 he returned o New York to live with his son and daughter-in-law Maryanne (nee Pugliese). He continued to remain active well into his nineties. He especially enjoyed playing bocce at Kissena Park, playing cards, cribbage and checkers.

He was a very contented man who enjoyed a simple life and appreciated the comforts of home, family, food and a good cup of coffee. He enjoyed watching T.V. and appreciated old time movies. He had a good sense of humor and prided himself in not taking life too seriously. He was very proud of the accomplishments of his children, their spouses and grandchildren. Although not always able to share in person family events due to geographic distance, he loved his children, Anthony, his daughter-in-law Maryanne, his daughter Janet Sabatino and husband Anthony – Doctor “Tony”, his Grandson Anthony Sabatino and wife Marissa (nee Fagel) and great grandchildren Gianna, Anthony “Quatro” and Carmine “Bash”. His grandson Joseph and his wife Elissa (nee Romaniello) and their soon to be first born child.

He was loved by many who were blessed to know him. He was very good looking, youthful beyond his years and continued to get compliments right up to the very end, especially for his blue eyes. He was a hardworking, dedicated and loving father who lived his life sacrificing for his family. He understood the importance of education and its importance to ultimate success.

He was predeceased by his parents, his eldest brother who died in infancy over a hundred year ago, older brother Vito and his wife Carmela (nee Staropoli) and younger brother Philip. He is survived by his sister-in-law Margaret “Margie (nee Coringrato), sisters-in-law Grace and Maryann Ervolino as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

In final summation, his life philosophy was simple – “You gotta be lucky”. And WE WERE.

Rest in Peace