Angelina DiBacco

Angela (DiNino) DiBacco, 72, of Hartford, beloved wife of Mario DiBacco, passed away peacefully, on December 11, 2020, at home, surrounded by her loving family. Angelina’s story began on July 11, 1948 in Pratola Peligna, L’Aquila, Italy, a picturesque, mountain village in central Italy. Angelina was the youngest of Adele (Pace) and Antonio DiNino’s five children and she grew up during the meager years of post-World War II Italy. Because of her arduous childhood, “Angelina”, as she was affectionately called by her friends and family, learned to be self-sufficient. She developed a quick wit and appreciated all she achieved.

In the summer of 1969, she happened upon a charming young man, Mario DiBacco, returning from America to visit his Italian family. After walking by and being mesmerized by Angelina, he finally built up the courage to introduce himself to her. Mario and Angelina chatted for hours, realizing they grew up only a few streets away from each other. They shared stories and fell immediately in love. After 3 days of courting Angelina in front of their town’s church, La Basilica Madonna Della Libera, Mario proposed and married her within this same church on October 12, 1969.

Angelina trusted the love of her new husband and courageously followed him back to the United States. In December 1969, they started their new life together in Hartford, Connecticut. Although the early years in America were challenging without knowing the English language, a little language gap wasn’t going to stop her! She kept repeating to herself: “piano, piano, vai sano e lontano” (translated: “little by little, you’ll go far and stay sane”). Her persistence, along with the steadfast love and support of her husband, helped carry them through the initial difficulties together.

Angelina had been an aspiring tailor back in Italy – she’d designed her own wedding dress - so she initially went to work at the Coracci & Sons Dress Factory, while Mario worked as a machinist at a local factory. A twist of fate soon changed their lives. Mario’s factory closed and asked him to relocate or lose his job. Being that Angelina was finally feeling comfortable within her newly adopted Hartford home, they decided to take another leap of faith and buy a little convenience store, the South Street Market. They spent a few years at this Market, realized they loved working together and in 1975, they relocated to a larger store on Franklin Avenue, where they specialized in Italian foods and there they have remained to this day. Their Franklin Avenue store, DiBacco’s Market, was not only about Italian food, but about building relationships. Angelina believed being in business meant being personal. She’d say, “if it’s not personal or important to you, why do it?” This personal touch was ever present. Angelina would dance, sing, tell funny stories, listen to people’s troubles and play Italian music really, really loudly with the kids or customers in the store. Angelina loved children’s laughter and she’d sneak them Kinder chocolates along with countless mortadella and provolone sandwiches.

Family was everything to Angelina. She was over the moon when her son, Johnny was born in 1970, and her family completed when her daughter, Patricia, was born in 1972. Angelina would lovingly make her children’s clothes when they were infants and toddlers. She would take countless walks with them in Elizabeth Park or Goodwin Park in Hartford. They would have delicious meals together discussing life, their days at school and they loved to sing together. Angelina had a beautiful voice and was always singing or whistling, a talent she passed to her children, Johnny and Patricia who loved to sing (or whistle) with her.

Angelina couldn’t wait to introduce her children to her parents in Italy. They went to Italy every 2 years to spend time with their grandparents, cousins and extended family. As a result, Angelina’s children learned to speak Italian, they learned so much about their heritage and had the opportunity to spend unforgettable moments with their Italian grandparents. Angelina and Mario took the kids on family road trips to Canada, Niagara Falls, Disney World and happily brought along her kids friends. If the kids were happy, Angelina was happy. To better balance motherhood and working, she and Mario lived above their Franklin Avenue store. Angelina spent every moment with her children when she wasn’t working. Family was everything to her.

As the years progressed, Angelina welcomed Roberto DiBacco, her brother-in-law, to live with them during his teen years whom she raised as her own son. In 1986, Angelina was honored with a mother-son dance with Roberto when he married his wife, Tina Liberatore. She loved being a “Zia” (“Auntie”) to their kids, Alexandra DiBacco Majewski and Roberto DiBacco, Jr. In 1999, their family grew to add a daughter-in-law, Michele Raymond, and a son-in-law, Joseph Edward Beaudry III. All of them added a little something extra to her life and were a great help to Angelina in her later years when she needed them most.

Finally, in 2000, Angelina’s heart expanded exponentially when she made the transition from mother to Nonna. Her first beautiful grandchild, Gabriella Adeline DiBacco was born. Her heart grew even more when welcoming Luca Mario DiBacco, her first grandson. In 2008, Angelina was the first at the hospital when her daughter brought in Angelina’s next grandson, Joseph Edward Beaudry IV. In 2010, Mario Antonio Beaudry, her fourth and final grandchild, arrived successfully into this world. Gabriella is a tall and elegant replica of her Nonna. Luca could charm his Nonna into giving him nearly anything with his smiles, Joseph delighted his Nonna with his intellect and Mario continuously surprises his Nonna with his empathy for others. Angelina was so proud of all of her grandchildren and could never stop smiling when they were around. “Nonna” was the sweetest sound to her ears.

Angelina, lastly, worked part-time in the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center kitchen for several years while also managing DiBacco’s Market. She loved bringing spaghetti and smiles to the sick children or giving hugs if they needed encouragement.

Angelina was an active member of the Pratolana Mutual Benefit Society and made hundreds of pizzelle for their annual Madonna Della Libera Festival. She was also an active member of the Daughters of Canicattini Bagni, the Italian American Ladies Society, the Mount Carmel Saint Christina Society and an honorary member of several other local Italian clubs.

There’s an ancient Roman expression: “Si vuoi essere amato, sii amabile” (“if you wish to be loved, be lovable”). Angelina loved people and she loved life. She loved being a wife. She loved being a mother. She loved being a grandmother. She loved laughing with her family and friends with all her heart and soul. Her love was so radiant, that it illuminated the best in the people around her. She was our North Star, always pointing us, her family, in the right direction. She is now our Angel Star and we will miss her forever.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 11 a.m. at María Reina De La Paz Church (St. Lawrence O’Toole Church), 494 New Britain Avenue, Hartford. Attendance in church is limited, masks and social distancing required. Burial will be private. The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel of Wethersfield has been entrusted by the family with the arrangements. Memorial donations in Angelina’s name may be made to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.