Umberto Arena

Although the household was poor economically, love was abundant! Music , singing & storytelling were common in that home. By his 12th birthday, both parents passed & he went to live in an orphanage. Here he continued his love of Jesus Christ as he learned to serve Mass. At 16, Umberto moved to Argentina to live with his brothers, most of whom had made their way there after WWII. Soon after, he met the young girl that he would later court & marry by age 25. He & Dora remained married and celebrated their 61st anniversary this past summer.

His family life began from there as they had their 1st child Joseph, while he was working making shoes & eventually owned his own grocery store. Wanting to see what this “America” had to offer, Umberto sold his store & came to Brooklyn. With little in his pocket & less in English vocabulary, he found work making shoes. He also found that America had opportunity to offer. That’s when his wife & son came to join him. Not long after their reunion, they welcomed their 2nd child, Roberto.

Facing a 3 bus commute & opposition from fellow employees because of his incredible work ethic, he found work in a Brooklyn pizzeria. This is where he learned all he could about the business. The following year he bought his 1st pizzeria in Lakewood. He & his strong work ethic were now off to the races. Several years later he sold that small store & bought Attilios in Lincroft, where Umberto & Dora laid their roots. They raised their children here & forged lifelong friendships & ties to the community. He would go on to build his very own restaurant, Umberto’s, in Fair Haven. But he wasn’t done there. By the end of his restaurant career he had created Orlando’s in Colts Neck, Cafe Victoria in Holmdel & Rosina’s Ristorante in Shrewsbury. Along the way he empowered many others to follow that path to business ownership. Over the next 3 decades, his work led to the launching of many other restaurant families, as well as everyone he employed building those stores. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Umberto was fully engaged with the concept, planning, layouts, designs, workflow & menus. He had vision to see what wasn’t there and the follow through to make it happen. He always sold his stores to his employees & that laid the foundation for his retirement. He tried to retire several times, it finally stuck in his early 60s. This is when he & Dora spent the next 2 decades enjoying a new chapter in their lives in Hollywood, Florida. Reconnecting with old friends & making new ones. Umberto loved to swim in the ocean & walk many miles daily. His many years of 7 day work weeks, gave way to years of relaxation & travel. International travel that took them back to Europe, over to China, Turkey, South America, countless cruises experiencing places like Alaska & Hawaii. One through line in all the chapters of his life was his generosity. He helped many family members, acquaintances & friends, usually, quietly & unknown. This came from his faith & special Love for the Virgin Mary. At the drop of a hat he would always have some saying that would always be in Italian or Spanish to help make a point or help to inspire. The most memorable one is

“Quien busca, encuentra.” “ Who seeks, finds.” Of all his accomplishments, the one he was most proud of was his American Citizenship. He knew this nation is great & he wanted to make sure that he would be an active participant in the American Dream!

He is predeceased by his parents & siblings; Rafilucho, Rosetta, Gennaro, Mario, Carlo, Lucia, Orlando & one sibling that died shortly after birth.

He is survived by his wife Dora, his son Joseph & his daughters Victoria and Sophia, his son Roberto, his wife, Beth and their children, Sean, Holly, Mary, Lily and Ruby.

Some say a big part of life is luck, but a bigger part is what you do with that luck!

Who would have thought that the 9th child born to a poor family in war torn Italy would have lived the life he did?! Rest Peacefully Umberto.