Josephine Angela Iacullo

1961 - 2014
Josephine Angela Iacullo, 52, of Brooklyn, New York, died October 7, 2014, following a long struggle with arterial venous malformation (AVM). She was the daughter of Carmela Iacullo and the late Hannibal Richard Iacullo.

A graduate of St. Rose of Lima School and Edward R. Murrow High School, of Brooklyn, Josephine earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts from Long Island University, Brooklyn in 1983, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the Palmer School at Long Island University in 1990, with a specialty in Young Adult Literature. One of her early positions was with the Museum of Broadcasting but most of her working life was spent as a librarian at the New York Public Library (NYPL). Over the course of her twenty-five year career she served at many NYPL libraries including Jefferson Market, St. Agnes, Mid-Manhattan, Donnell, Muhlenberg, and finally the New Amsterdam Library in Lower Manhattan until her retirement in 2013.

In her career she rose from Trainee to Senior Librarian, but not without difficulty. In 2002 an arbitrator upheld her union DC37 grievance against the New York Public Library and ruled that the NYPL had been in violation of Josephine's right for reasonable accommodation, achieving a major victory for all workers with disabilities in the NYPL system. She often was praised for her service ethic by both co-workers and patrons and noted for her ability to perform her duties in spite of physical challenges as she paved the way for others.

During the catastrophic events of 9/11 in New York City Josephine was among a group of NYPL librarians who survived the World Trade Center disaster, successfully securing her New Amsterdam library branch on Murray Street and finding her way home with the help of a New York City policeman who brought her to a working subway station.

Her family remembers Jo for her generous spirit, loving nature, resilience, tolerance, and drive to rise above obstacles. She was a passionate foodie who loved popular culture and music. She especially enjoyed the Beatles, Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi and listening to WCBS 101.1 FM. Most of all, Josephine loved spending quality time with her immediate family and always looked forward to family gatherings and holiday celebrations.

In addition to her mother Carmela Iacullo, Josephine is survived by her sisters Dr. Maria Iacullo Bird (Dr. Donald Allport Bird), Roseann Iacullo-Vargas (Eddy Vargas) and nephews Joseph Hannibal Iacullo Bird and Alexander Donald Allport Bird.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Josephine's name to support AVM Research or AVM Education at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Any donation should be made to the "Department of Neurosurgery" with a note on the check indicating the program it is supporting in Josephine Iacullo's name. These gifts should be sent to: Department of Neurosurgery, c/o Maria Coello, 1468 Madison Avenue, Annenberg 8-04, New York, New York 10029. Gifts also may be made in Josephine's name to UNICEF, 125 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038.