Anthony Capozzolo

Anthony Capozzolo
Anthony Capozzolo, 101, of Bangor, died peacefully in his home with his family by his side on Tuesday, October 16. Anthony Capozzolo was born in Corleta Monforte, in a mountainous region of Italy, near Salerno, on June 11, 1906, a son of Italian immigrants, the late Isidore and Theresa Salamone Capozzolo. He came to this country with his parents when he was three months old. His father first worked in the late quarries and then bought a farm on Ridge Road, North Bangor. Tony is the oldest of 10 children. He lived in the Slate Belt area his entire life. At age 18, four years after he began working for Pennsylvania Shirt Company, East Bangor, he started his own company, Perfect Shirt. He manufactured mens shirts for 11 years, then switched to ladies blouses. Together with his brother, Joseph, he had plants in Bangor and Roseto and interests in various other plants in the area, with Leslie Ann Fashions, the New York selling office for womens sportswear manufactured by his own and other firms. He was a member of the executive board of the Slate Belt Apparel Contractors Association. After attaining success in the textile field, Mr. Capozzolo ventured into other businesses. He was president of the Capitol Slate Company in East Bangor. Capitol was known throughout the nation as the leading manufacturer of blue slate, the most durable roofing slate in the world. The company also producted slate bottoms for home aquariums. Prior to acquiring interest in the slate quarry, he owned restaurants in New Jersey and New York. He also ventured into the citrus fruit industry with interests in Roseto Groves, Lake Wales, Florida. Mr. Capozzolo was a director of First National Bank of Bangor, now a part of Bank of America and was a member of the board of trustees at Easton Hospital, serving as a member of the personnel and public relations committees. A devout member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, between business ventures, he found time to devote his energies to parish affairs and served as chairman for many charitable drives. One of the first projects he took on was on the construction of the convent for the Salesian Sisters, who had come to staff a kindergarten and grammar school in the 1930s. He organized workers to collect and haul stones from local farms and treated them to ring baloney and beer for their efforts. He served on the Parochial School Committee with Father Gennaro Leone and was one of the charter members to initiate plans for the Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and Pius X High School, raising funds with the Cadillac Dinner and Drawing, which he organized and headed for many years. Tony and Father Leone often went soliciting funds from area businesses and professional people. He likes to tell the story about the time he and Fr. Leone went to visit a physician in the area who was a non Catholic. The doctor said I always donate to worthy causes and gave them a dollar! A fourth degree member of the Father DeNisco Council of the Knights of Columbus since 1954, and before that a member of the Easton Council since 1942, Tony was honored as that organizations first Knight of the Year in 1965. Mr. Capozzolo was the man most instrumental in having the council home built. He headed the building committee for the new Knights of Columbus Home, begun in 1963 and built largely by the members on land donated by the late William Doall. The chairmanship was strictly a working assignment for Mr. Capozzolo. At night, he and fellow members would assemble forms for the foundation and the next day, when the mixer arrived, they would take time off from their own work to help pour the concrete. In addition to seeking a donation of the land, Mr. Capozzolo also solicited the donation of the bricks from a business associate and recruited masons to donate their time. He located the stairway in a scrap yard and the bar was found at a business that was being torn down in Stroudsburg. When all was said and done, the Knights had their home free and clear, with no debts. In 1979, he undetook the project of building Christ the King Shrine on the council grounds. He collected funds and supervised the cleaning of the swamp area west of the council home, transforming it into a beautiful lake. Behind every successful man is his wife, in this case former Mary D. Angelini, who passed away in 1999. Married for 68 years and retired in January of 1981, Tony and his wife enjoyed retirement, wintering in Florida, where he spent many mornings fishing from the pier near his home. His charitable works continued even there, where he caught enough fish for the local Knights of Columbus to have their annual Fish Fry. Perhaps a quote on one of the many plaques he has received in the past says it best, To know him is to admire him; to know him well is to love him. Survivors: He is survived by a daughter, Theresa Cotturo of Bangor; two sons, Isidore of Bangor and Charles and his wife, Margaret Capozzolo, of Bethlehem; sister, Josephine Filingo of Bangor; brother, Pasquale of Mount Bethel, Pa.; grandchildren, Mary Margaret Taylor, Christopher Cotturo, Carla Foy, Anthony Capozzolo, Nicole M. Cotturo, Tricia Sullivan, Amy Capozzolo, Marisa Capozzolo, Mary Capozzolo and Alex Capozzolo; 10 great-grandchildren. Brothers, Philip, Joseph and Henry, and sisters, Mary Romano, Lucy Romano, Victoria DeThomas and Virginia Duvo, all died earlier. Services: Mass of Christian Burial, will be celebrated on Friday at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, Third and Garibaldi avenues, Roseto. Call on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. and on Friday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Fiore Funeral Home, Third and Market streets, Bangor. The Knights of Columbus will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Entombment will be in the Queen of Heaven Mausoleum, Roseto. Contributions: Memorial donations may be given to the Knights of Columbus Capital Improvements Fund, c/o Anthony Barazzuol, 201 Arch St., Pen Argyl, PA 18072 or to Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 88 Ridge Ave., Bangor, PA 18013.