Maria Constance Brescio

Funeral Mass Tuesday April 2, 11:00AM St. Ignatius Martyr Church
Interment Calvary Cemetery
MARIA CONSTANCE BRESCIO
On January 20, 1925-a very cold night, during the second blizzard of the day in New York City-a very special baby was born at home by a mid-wife: Maria Constance Marzano. She was born to two Italian immigrant parents, Margaret and Alphonse. Her father wanted her to be named Nevina, which translates to "little snow." Her mom really liked the name Maria and so it goes
Maria realized she liked music at a very young age. The following events changed the course of her life. She started to ask her parents for a piano and piano lessons, but to no avail. They would respond, "we don't have room for a piano; we can't afford a piano." And then one day, her mother decided to grant Maria her wish. Margaret, unbeknownst to her husband, sold much of the apartment furniture and had the piano delivered the same day. The story goes that they couldn't get the piano up the stairs, so they hoisted it up the outside of the building and in through a window. Alphonse came home and thought he was in the wrong apartment, but he wasn't. Maria started to take piano lessons and, of course, her biggest fan was her father. She graduated from Washington Irving High School. She also attended the Mannes Music School on 12th Street where she honed her piano skills. Maria modeled for a Manhattan furrier and various other firms, but music was her passion. For Maria it was a fascination and a love of music, whether it was the piano, singing, composing original music or, eventually, mastering playing the organ. She made so many people happy with her musical skills at many events. She was the life of the party!
She met Lawrence "Chappy" Brescio and they fell in love. They were married within a year on June 2, 1946. They moved from the city to East Atlantic Beach. They started their family and had four children: Lawrence "Chip", John, Ronnie and Margaret. Maria was very active in her new hometown. She modeled for Rita's Couture Shop in town. She became the Music Director of the Long Beach Catholic School Choir (St. Ignatius Martyr Church) for many years. She was a member and then President of the Long Beach Theatre Guild. Maria taught private piano and organ lessons for many years. She was a Member of the LaSalle Military Academy Ladies Auxiliary where she helped produce several major fashions shows, which were held at the Waldorf Astoria and the New York Hilton hotels. Maria was the Musical Director for Long Beach Children's Theatrical Workshop and, from that experience, started Sunshine Talent and became a talent agent for children. She wrote the musical score and was co-playwriter to the original off-off Broadway musical, "Hi Mom, What's New?" She then got her New York State Real Estate License and became a successful, high performing Long Beach real estate agent.
Even with all of this community involvement, she never stopped being the most loving, caring, Italian-American wife and mother to her husband and children! She made the best "Sunday Gravy ever made!" Her four children would agree that, when you were at 91 Bay Street, you were in Italy. If you left the house, you were in America. Her children were true Italian Americans! Maria loved tradition and celebrated every holiday, birthday and special occasion with all her family members. She loved her country and her Catholic faith. Christmas Eve was her night to celebrate Jesus' birth! There were seven fishes and all the trimmings (seafood salad, baked clams, linguini with lobster fra diavolo sauce, lobster oreganata, stuffed calamari, bacala, fried shrimp and calamari-all homemade), sing-a-longs, and presents, creating tremendous happiness and joy all around, for many, many years. The Fourth of July was another favorite of Maria's as she also loved celebrating America. She would have everyone barbecuing and swimming in Reynolds channels, and watching fireworks across the bay-it was always a good time for all invited.
If you had the pleasure of receiving a card from Maria (or Marie, Mom, Nana, or Gigi as she was also known), it was always more than just a card; it was often filled with words of advice and gems of wisdom.
In her late 60's she moved to Florida and remained there for some 28 years. She moved back to New York when she was 93. She continued to enjoy life, living at the beautiful Bristal in Garden City for over five years. You might even have seen Maria recently on TV as she is featured in one of the Bristal's advertisements – of course, playing the piano and entertaining all as usual!
We would be remiss not to talk of Maria's elegance, poise, confidence, warmth, sparkle, and glamour. She was always impeccably dressed from head to toe. As stunning and captivating as she was on the outside, her inner beauty, her soul, her anima shone even brighter. In Italian, the word to describe Maria would be simpatico.
The best advice from Maria:
On your worst day, find something beautiful in the day, even if it is as simple as looking at a bare tree on a cold day against a grey sky with snow coming down. Look and say, isn't that beautiful?! It will make you smile. Keep going; you can't crawl up in a ball, you have to pick yourself up and keep going – with a smile, and you'll get through.
Maria is predeceased by her parents, Margaret and Alphonse Marzano, and her brothers, Genaro (who died at 6 months old) and Alphonse Jr. She is also predeceased by her loving husband, Lawrence Brescio and her great grandson, Hudson Robert Foschi.
Maria leaves behind her children: Lawerence (Mary), John (Frankie), Ronald (Denise), and Margaret (Robert); her 12 grandchildren: Lawrence (Christina), Christopher (Kristin), Michael (Susan), Ann Marie (Van), Maria (Dennis), Raina, Ronald (Tara), Anthony (Laura), Pamela (Daniel), Jessica (Mark), John Paul (Jacqueline), and Christian (Jacqueline); and her 31 great-grandchildren: Nicholas, Alexander, Giuliana, Lucia, John Lorenzo, Helena Marie, Christopher, Luke, James, Lily, Mia, George, Marco, Francis, Harrison, Leonardo, Luke, Riley, Caroline, Emilia Kathleen, Declan, Victor, James Marino, and new baby girl, Robert John "Bobby", Michael, Georgia, Liliana Marie, Jade, Hudson and Noah. She is also predeceased by her second husband, Robert Anderson, and her third husband, Dr. Jorge Morales. She leaves behind many beloved cousins here in the US and extended family in England.
Maria Constance: "to know her is to love her." What a woman! Until we meet again
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the
Brescio Scholarship at Siena College
515 Loudon Rd.
Loudonville, NY 12211