Joseph O Laino

Joseph Osvaldo Laino passed away on September 15, 2025 just 8 months after his beloved wife, Celeste Laino. He was born in 1929 in Rosario, Argentina to Italian immigrant parents, Nellina Bilancieri and Pedro Laino. He was also simply known as Laino & Maestro. Upon finishing high school, he moved to the city of Cordoba where he worked as a technical designer at the Aerotechnical Institute (the Argentinian Armed Forces). This allowed him to further his education. He also began drawing cartoons & started a comic strip in the sports section of the city of Cordoba newspaper. In the early 1950s, he moved to Buenos Aires where his creative work and cartoons were sought after by several ad agencies, newspapers and magazines. In 1956, he moved to Venezuela to honor a contract with a well known advertising agency to continue cartooning and publishing his drawings. In 1961, he moved to New York and started publishing his drawings in Cracked magazine as well as collaborating with other magazines and The Wall Street Journal. His cartooning career in the Big Apple spanned well over 15 years at different newspapers, magazines and Spanish TV. In 1974, he and his wife opened their own advertising agency in Tampa. It was well respected & successful until their retirement after 32 years During this period he received several awards, such as 1986—Man of the Year by the Tampa Advertising Federation, 2000 Best Professional, 2001-2002 Hispanic Man of the Year in Tampa, 2003 Hall of Fame USF. He enjoyed sharing his expertise with young professionals and staying active in professional organizations. With his native land in his heart, he co-founded the Argentina Association of Tampa Bay. He presided over this organization until his retirement. He is survived by loving family in Argentina and many dear friends here in the United States. He will be deeply missed. However, we take solace in knowing that he is at peace with his dear wife. There will be a graveside service on October 10, 2025 at 10AM at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park Cemetery.

A graveside service will be held at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, located at 4202 E Lake Ave, Tampa, FL, 33610, United States. The service is scheduled for October 10, 2025, from 10:00 am to 10:30 am.