Americo Marzano

Americo Marzano, a man of boundless joy, resilience, and an extraordinary heart, peacefully passed away on May 31, 2026 at the age of 83. He left this world surrounded by the immense love of the family he built, protected, and cherished throughout his beautiful life. Americo was born on June 11, 1942, in Monte Mario, Rome, to loving parents Alfredo Marzano and Ines Guadagno. Americo’s vibrant spirit was evident from his very first years. Even at a young age, he stood out among his peers for his strong, bright character. He was outgoing, deeply altruistic, and always ready to help anyone in need. He was a person it was simply impossible not to love.

He spent his childhood and teenage years in Carinola, where he truly left his mark on the town. Even today, locals fondly remember his charming and humorous adventures, especially his famous bicycle acrobatics and how he used to confidently balance on the stone wall down by the church, capturing the attention and smiles of everyone passing by.

Before moving across the Atlantic, Americo served with immense pride as a Carabiniere officer. He did not hold just any ordinary role, he was chosen for a highly prestigious position within the elite Reggimento a Cavallo in Rome, a testament to his discipline, skill, and distinguished character.

Americo’s life changed forever at the age of 14 when he met Wanda, the absolute love of his life. Showing the passion and courage that defined his character, he followed Wanda to America without a second thought. In this new country, Americo worked tirelessly to provide a beautiful life for his growing family. Despite the initial language barrier, his work ethic, natural leadership, and charisma shone through, leading him to become a respected manager at RI Insulated Wires, and later on continued his career at General Dynamics where he lead and trained a big team.

Though he built a beautiful life across the ocean, Americo never lost his deep love for his Italian roots. He carried Carinola in his heart forever, a devotion he beautifully captured in a poem he wrote himself:

Suona l'Ave Maria

Ti vedo Carinola mia

Nel vespro della sera

Nella preghiera

Ecco la cattedrale

San Bernardo ed il viale

Madonna Immacolata

Sperduta tu sei laggiù

Mi portano i ruscelli

Melodici stornelli

Rosseggia là tra i monti

L’ardente fiamma dei tuoi tramonti

Throughout his life, Americo’s greatest masterpiece was his family. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Wanda, who stood lovingly by his side for their entire journey together. He was a proud and nurturing father to his five children: Ines, Josephine, Antonia, Franca, and his son Alfredo.

As a father, Americo created a childhood filled with magical, lasting memories. He frequently packed up all five of his children for joyful day trips to the park or to the beach at Oakland Beach, creating numerous happy moments with the family. He would often take his son, Freddy, to the Warwick Airport just to sit together and watch the airplanes take off. Americo also made sure the holidays were full of excitement, starting a beloved Christmas tradition where he let his children choose absolutely any board game they preferred. He truly taught them the ultimate value of love, unity, and resilience.

Americo was a man of extraordinary talents who could build anything from scratch. He filled the lives of his grandchildren with handmade wonders, crafting everything from beautiful kitchens and doll cradles to a wooden rocking horse. He was also a passionate animal lover, spending countless hours in his backyard shed alongside his beloved dogs. This shed became a special place of gathering, where he would sit with his grandchildren to play card games like Scopa, always jokingly pretending to be mad whenever he would lose a game. His grandchildren, Francesco, Ida, Lucia, Rico, Alfredo, Giuseppe, Toni, DJ, Savannah, Americo and Shania, treasure all the memories with their beloved Nonno.

To his grandchildren and everyone around him, Americo was a constant source of laughter, music, and light. He possessed a beautiful talent for storytelling, creating a world of joy through his words. He dedicated many songs to Wanda played on his accordion, such as "’O Sole Mio," and loved singing iconic Italian and Italian-American classics with his grandchildren, especially those of Mario Merola, like "’O Zappatore" or Paul Anka’s "You Are My Destiny" with pure joy.

Americo was a truly special soul who succeeded in leaving a piece of himself in the hearts of everyone he met. His life was a rich tapestry woven with laughter, hard work, deep devotion, and an unforgettable warmth. He will be profoundly missed, but his beautiful legacy of love and joy will live on forever in his family.