Palermino Mazzucco

Palmerino Mazzucco, known to many simply as "Paolo," a longtime neighborhood barber who became a steady and familiar presence on Manhattan's Upper East Side, died peacefully on April 29. He was 88. He is predeceased by his loving wife, Angela. Palmerino was born on April 11, 1938, in Tufo di Minturno, Italy, one of six siblings born to Angelo and Maddalena Mazzucco. He spent his early years in the small rural village, set among the hills near Minturno in southern Lazio, where life centered on family, farming and close community ties, before serving in the Italian Army. In 1961, he married Angela Zingaro; they were married for 53 years. That same year, he came to the United States, settling in Brooklyn and beginning a life rooted in family, work and community. For more than 40 years, Palmerino traveled from Brooklyn to Manhattan each day, cutting hair on the Upper East Side and serving thousands of customers who came to rely on him not just for a haircut but for conversation and familiarity. He was a constant presence at the third stool, where generations of customers found him day after day. Many returned for years, even decades, drawn by the comfort of seeing Palmerino right where they expected him to be. He continued working until his 79th birthday. Outside of work, he loved gardening, being outdoors, especially riding his bicycle around Dyker Park, where he was a familiar sight. He is survived by his son, Angelo Mazzucco, his daughter-in-law Patricia Mazzucco, and their daughter, Jenna Mazzucco; and by his daughter, Maddalena Mazzucco, her husband, Ed McDonnell, and their children, Isabella and Charles McDonnell; as well as his brother, Pasquale Mazzucco, and his sister, Francesca Conte. Palmerino's life was defined by constancy showing up, day after day, for his work, his family and his community, becoming a small but meaningful part of the lives of so many New Yorkers. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Tuesday at St. Thomas the Apostle Church located at 6135 Amboy Rd Staten Island, New York 10309. Interment will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island, NY. The family will receive friends from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Monday, May 11, 2026, at John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Inc., 28 Eltingville Blvd, Staten Island, New York. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.scaliahome.com

Palermino Mazzucco

April 11, 1938 - April 29, 2026