Elio Liberato Colella

Survived by his wife Annina, son Benedetto daughter Patricia, son in law Robert Two grandchildren Matthew and Andrew His younger sister Fernanda and is predeceased by his parents and sister Maria Born in San Benedetto in Perillis the 3rd of December 1933, a small locality in the Abruzzi region of Italy, located 100 miles from the Capital city of Rome.

Journey to America Initially Elio left for South America and worked at the General tire company in Caracas for a brief period before he returned back to Italy. The next destination was New York in July of 1956, as a third-class passenger on the Italian line’s Andrea Doria which on the last sailing day collided with the liner Stockholm off Nantucket Island. The Andrea Doria was sinking, and Elio assisted in the rescue of at least two other passengers and then finally climbed out of a lifeboat sent by the French liner Ile de France, making Elio grateful to France and its people. He was wed in New York in May 1957 to Annina, who had arrived on a journey from Italy in May of 1956. They settled in the Park Place district in Brooklyn.

Trades

Elio began honing his English language skills while he worked. Various occupations included being a Longshoreman at the Port of New York, and working in construction helping to build the TWA terminal at Kennedy Airport. Eventually Elio ended up working at a superstore in Brooklyn owned by his cousin. Moving south In November 1970, Elio drove down to south Florida with his son Ben who at 12 years old navigated the way using paper maps, to search for a warmer climate due to his wife Annina’s declining health.

Entrepreneur

Elio opened his own business in the summer of 1972, ordering ten bicycles from a wholesaler to display in a small space which later grew into a bigger location and became known as Bicycles Unlimited Inc of Lighthouse Point. Elio together with family ran the business for twenty years, and customer loyalty was based on the excellence in reputation that he provided his clients with. He looked forward to bicycle conventions where he was on a first name basis with the people who ran the major bicycle corporations.

Leisure activity

Talented Accordionist

Keyboards

Bicycling

Gardening

Fishing

Summers in Abruzzo

Burgundy wine and pasta