Salvatore O. Gianforte, 89, Sal or Toto as his friends called him, is now dancing and singing in heaven. He was born on April 30, 1931 in Mistretta, Sicily and in 1959, he moved to Brooklyn, NY and with his wife and started a family. He spent 33 years working for the Brooklyn Union Gas Company at their main office building as an Air Conditioning and Heating Mechanic. In 1993, he and his wife retired to Arizona. Salvatore was passionate about gardening and treated each plant as his offspring. He learned growing fruits and vegetables as a child on the family farm in Sicily. Anywhere he lived, his garden was the focal point of his backyard which dominated most of the space. There were always enough fruits & veggies to go around and would always share with family, friends and neighbors. He loved sharing and feeding people especially children.
Salvatore was the life of the party. He had a knack of getting the crowd in a good mood, whether it was funny stories or on-the-spot jokes. Playing his guitar and singing for friends was typical and always expected at gatherings. He had a natural gift in getting people to sing along or dance. He's also been known to play dress up at parties, sometimes in drag. You could say he was the Italian Don Rickles, Milton Berle and Jack Benny, all rolled into one. There's no doubt he's performing his one man show in heaven.
He is survived by his best friend and beloved wife, Mariannina; his daughter Tina and husband Joe; his son Rosario and wife Marilena and grandchildren Joseph, Mariana and Anthony.
A graveside service is scheduled for Friday, February 12 for the immediate family at Phoenix Memorial Park & Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, one can donate in Salvatore Gianforte’s memory to Feed My Starving Children organization.
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