Vito U. Rizzo

He was born in Newark, NJ to Rocco and Mary (Martucci) where he attended elementary and high schools.  He enlisted into the United States Air Force and attended ground radio operations school at Camp Gordon, Georgia.  

Vito served in Korea with the 6151st air base squadron on the East Coast, then in Seoul during the war in 1951-52.  He returned to the United States and served as Radio Communications Chief at McCord Air Force Base in Washington state until his discharge in 1953 as Staff Sergeant.

He lived for many years in Irvington, NJ where he joined the local police department and served in the Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Special Crime Alleviation Team (SCAT), and the Traffic Bureau, retiring as a Lieutenant in 1978.

Vito was then employed as Corporate Security Investigator for Schering-Plough and retired in 1988.  He then worked for other pharmaceutical companies as a self-employed private investigator specializing in product diversion.

He was a member of PBA 29 in Irvington and PBA 600 (retired officer organization). He was also a member of the Disabled American Veterans, Union, NJ Chapter 40 where he was past Commander.

Vito leaves behind his family, his wife, Donna Marie Rizzo (née Bowblis); son, James Daly (Patricia); daughter, Mary B. Rizzo-Heinis (Edward); 3 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Also, his sister, Marion Nalbone of Florida.  He was predeceased by an older sister, Teri Racioppi and a younger brother, Ralph Rizzo.  He joins them and a grandson, Christopher Daly who predeceased him in 1989.

He will be buried at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ. The burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the NJ Office of the DAV inTrenton, NJ. www.davnj.org