Vincent DiSalvo

Vincent DiSalvo, 86, passed away on Friday, December 6, 2019, at his residence surrounded by his loving family. With broken hearts, we announce that Vincent DiSalvo, devoted husband, loving father and proud grandfather has passed. Our family's patriarch, our hero, and someone we'll always look up to. Vincent's life story began on Dec 20th, 1932, born in Casteldaccia, Sicily to Domenica LoMonaco and Vincenzo DiSalvo, the 9th child of 13. Vincent like the rest of his siblings had very tough and humble beginnings. He started working menial jobs post WWII as a young child. In his early teens he started an apprenticeship in construction. But he was ambitious, not afraid to make mistakes and always looking to expand his construction knowledge. He learned by doing all different types of work and with sweat and perseverance and eventually he was building entire homes. But times in Sicily were tough after the war, so he dreamed of moving to America in search of better opportunity and when he met the love of his life, Catherine, that dream become a reality. Vinny and Cathy met in 1960 in Italy and were married October 1st, 1961 in America and before too long, they started a beautiful family. Once in America, Vinny joined the plasterer's union where he worked until the mid-70's at which point he went into business for himself and founded DiSalvo Contracting. Vinny was ambitious and hungry. He started doing small repairs and remodeling in Brooklyn but was determined to find work for more affluent clientele. With a handful of business cards, he went door to door and introduced himself at the most prestigious, landmark buildings in Manhattan, such as The Dakota, The Ansonia, The Riverhouse and The Beresford etc. He started getting calls here and there and gradually a steady stream of work began to develop. Because of the foundation he created, DiSalvo Contracting is now an elite residential construction firm in New York City, run by his two sons, Vincent & Joseph. But one cannot talk about Vinny without discussing family. He was the ultimate family man. His world revolved entirely around the lives of his children, grandchildren and their spouses. He loved and treated his daughters-in-law, son-in-law and his grandchildren's spouses like they were born into the family. He referred to himself as the ''umbrella''. Everything he owned was always referred to as ''ours''. When referring to his home, he called it ''our home''. It was that way for everything. And he was as selfless and generous a family patriarch as there could be. He commanded the love, respect and admiration of our entire family without ever demanding it. He was also a dedicated parishioner at the Church of the Holy Child on Staten Island and an active member of the nearby YMCA, where he could often be found taking Zumba classes. He was passionate about fitness and healthy eating. Gardening was a great passion of his for decades and contributed to his healthy diet and lifestyle. As important as all else, Vincent, despite his Italian roots, identified as an American through and through. He was a patriot. He routinely spoke of his deep love for the United States, which afforded him opportunities and a life he could only dream of as a young man. He loved this country. He never forgot the myriad opportunities that America gave him, and he made the most of those opportunities. Vincent is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Catherine, as well as his son, Vincent III (and wife, Lorraine), his son, Joseph (and wife, Danielle) and daughter, Lisa (and husband, Carmine). He is also survived by his 7 grandchildren, Vincent IV (and wife Amanda), Melissa (and husband Matthew), CJ, Julia, Gabriela, Joseph Jr, and Elena. He was beloved by countless friends and extended family and will be deeply missed by so many. The family will receive friends from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at the John Vincent Scalia Home For Funerals, Inc., 28 Eltingville Blvd. (at Eltingville Station), Staten Island, New York. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 9, 2019 at Holy Child Church located at 4747 Amboy Rd Staten Island, New York 10312. Entombment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations in Vincent's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org would be greatly appreciated.

Vincent DiSalvo

December 20, 1932 - December 6, 2019