Mary Regalbuto

New London - Affectionately known as "Bingo Mary," Mary Regalbuto, well-known professional musician, professor of music for 70 years, and teacher of scores of all age pupils, died on April 7, 2013, after a long and successful performing and teaching career.

Miss Mary, the daughter of the late Carmelo and Eleanara Regalbuto, was born Oct. 27, 1908, in Groton. Her father, the late Carmelo, was her first teacher. At age 5, she played the mandolin and guitar as did her sister at age 7. In a dedicated life of performing and teaching, the sisters studied under the famous Frederick Riesberg, pupil of Franz Liszt, and under his tutelage earned their master of music degrees. She and her late sister, Victoria, who passed away in 1964, performed for radio stations in New York and New Jersey as one of the first two-piece piano teams. Milton J. Cross, well-known radio announcer on WJZ, announced them as the famous "Regalbuto Sisters."

She taught in Westerly for 40 years, in New York with her late sister Victoria for 10 years, and also taught instruments in Harbor School for 14 years. She wrote many compositions for various instruments. One was a march dedicated and named "Onward Harbor" in honor of Harbor School. The orchestra performed it in the annual Harbor School Festival held in Buell Hall.

Miss Mary also taught in the Stonington school system for four years, and her violin ensemble played on WJZ and many radio stations in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Her orchestras entertained every week during the summer at various nursing homes and at Ocean Beach on the boardwalk every summer for 20 years. Her pupils' orchestras played on many TV stations, gave recitals in Stonington High School with her 70-piece children's orchestra that included George Kent, who formerly led the Westerly Chorus. Three of her pupils won medals in a Carnegie Hall competition in New York. Three of her pupils received high honors in the Rhode Island Music All State Competition.

Throughout the years, she made records of her performing pupils that are now priceless and irreplaceable. Mary also played the organ in St. Joseph's Church for two and a half years. Her first-, second- and third-generation pupils remember her as insistent about perfection but loving at the same time. She was avid bingo player, enjoying the lifetime membership bestowed upon her by Foxwoods casino.

Survivors include nephews Charlie Orlando and family of Hudson, N.Y., Joseph Orlando and family of Orlando, Fla.; niece Emily Orlando and family; wife of her late nephew, Sam Orlando; and close friend Carlene Clark of Niantic.

Her family will receive relatives and friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave., New London. Guests are asked to gather for a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. on Saturday in St. Joseph Church, 17 Squire St., New London. Entombment will be in the family mausoleum in St. Mary Cemetery.