Maddalena Sciacca

Maddalena was born Maddalena Bilello in 1936 and grew up in Trapani, where her father was stationmaster. Following the death of her husband in 1960, she lived with her daughter Rosetta both in Italy and the United States. They settled permanently in San Diego in the 1980s.

Maddalena worked her way, as an immigrant and single mother with little to no English, from alterations tailor to the head of alterations, first at Nordstrom’s of Fashion Valley and then at Neiman Marcus. Later she struck out on her own, opening an atelier on Adams Avenue (later moved to Del Mar). There she specialized in handmade wedding gowns and dressed at least one mayor of San Diego. One of her clients, who would fly down from Seattle for wedding dress fittings, put it best: “Maddalena doesn’t believe in the impossible.”

She was famous for her warmth, generous spirit, and Old World courtesy. She was a very small woman, proud and gallant, and people fell in love with her at first sight; few of the ladies who sipped champagne in her studio and snapped selfies with her could know the 12- or 14-hour days she spent battling with her sewing machine, age and arthritis be damned.

Maddalena’s deepest love was reserved for her grandchildren, whom she spoiled without apology and whom she fed lavishly – her legendary tomato sauce, her fried cutlets, fried eggplant, homemade pasta, pasta al forno, meatballs in broth, rum cakes, cannoli siciliani, and other marvels. She drank massive quantities of strong coffee in defiance of her blood pressure, cheated at cards, and drove like a Formula 1 pilot.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Vincenzo Sciacca (1934—1960), with whom she will be interred.

She is survived by beloved daughter Rosetta (Michael Volkov); her grandsons Vincenzo (Eloisa Sari), Carlo, and Fabrizio; her step-grandchildren Matthew (Pia Moore), Peter, and Anna; her great-grandchildren Beatriz, Lilliana, and Nora; her sister Dora (Ignazio Occhipinti) and her brothers, Filippo (Ada Tortonesi) and Michele.

The family would like to thank Beatrice Zamorra for the care and compassion she showed Maddalena in her final years, and Miguel Bernal for the years of hard work and affection he gave her.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at El Camino Memorial Park (5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121) on Sunday, 15 February 2026 at 10am.