The Life Story of

Antonio DiCicco

Date Written November 6, 2018

Antonio DiCicco was born in Italy in

1939 on February 20. There were 6

members in Antonio’s family at that

time. They included mother Carmella

Ferraro, father Liberato DiCicco,

and two sisters. His brother

Dominico came along 11 years later.

When Antonio was little, his family lived on

a farm where they were sent to work in the

fields for landowners during World War 2.

His neighborhood was near the main road

to Ariano Irpino – near Napoli. They

worked long hours and the work was hard.

His bedroom was shared with siblings. Being the younger child, he

slept between the two sisters. They could sometimes hear the

German planes flying overhead. In those days they would dig a hole

underground to hide the oil which was used for cooking.

To pass the time, the children would make fun of grape stomping

and maceration in the vineyard. The children also sought comfort

and companionship from the farm animals, including sheep and cows.

Antonio had completed only 3 years of education prior to working on

the farm.

Antonio’s father later came over to America 4 years prior to the

family, settling in the City of Boston.

The family later came by boat in

1958. The journey took 10 days.

Antonio then finished high

school at East Boston High where

he learned the English language.

One of Antonio’s first jobs was at a shoe factory in Everett called

Chelsea Shoes. American Aluminum in Malden was another company

Antonio was employed at in his younger years. He also spent some

time working for Prince Spaghetti House on Washington Street in

Boston where the restaurant’s pasta was made in-house and cut to

order in front of patrons to prepare their meal.

When Tony was 19 years old he met his future

wife, Judith Ann Grosso. Judy was very grown

up at age 13. Tony’s favorite memory of Judy is

from Revere Beach. Tony and Judy had a

ceremony on June 30 at the Winthrop Arms in

Winthrop, MA.

Tony and Judy lived in an apartment in East Boston, which was

owned by Tony’s father at the time. Their first big purchase was

their house in Peabody. One of their most memorable experiences as

a new couple was of learning to cook. They also shared memories of

going to Niagara Falls. Tony was with Judy for 55 years.

One of their best memories as a married couple was of having their

first child.

It was a boy born on January 6, 1966. His name was Anthony Lee

DiCicco. Anthony was named after St. Anthony and his paternal

grandfather Liberato.

Antonio (Tony) was of Italian descent. His wife Judith (Judy) was of

French/Italian/Irish descent. Although they celebrated most

traditional holidays, Christmas was Judy’s favorite holiday.

Today, Tony’s children are:

Anthony DiCicco, age 52, lives in Hudson NH and works at the post office.

Mark DiCicco, age 49, lives in New Jersey and works for a law firm.

David DiCicco, age 47, lives in Cleveland Ohio and works for a major PC law corporation.

Tony, Mark & David

Tony also has 2 grandchildren from New Hampshire.

Ryan, Born May 3, 1997

and

Jessica, Born May 27, 1999

A couple of Tony’s most memorable experiences as a father were planting a tree with his son David and paddle boarding on the lake at their chalet in New Hampshire.

Other important people in Tony’s life were:

His father Liberato DiCicco, his mother Carmela DiCicco and close friend Mike Caruso.

Father Liberato, Brother in law, Raphael, Tony, Friend Mike Caruso Mike Caruso was a friend from Italy who showed Tony the process of starting a career in restaurant ownership. Tony’s aunt made the statement “I knew this guy wanted to make pizza”! And so began Tony & Judy’s history in restaurant and business operations.

Tony raised his family and still lives in Peabody. Over the years he has belonged to many organizations such as the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Route 1 Business Association. A member of St. Anne’s Parish, he has given back to the community through charitable organizations and has provided enrichment opportunities by dedicating his time showing pre-school students how to make pizza.

Son Anthony, Grandson Ryan, Tony, father Liberato

Tony regularly sees his sisters, Josephine & Raphaela, and son Anthony. A typical day in the life of tony begins with going to church and sometimes includes listening to Italian music. In the past, it would have included day trips and shopping with his wife Judy who passed away on June 17, 2018.

Some of Tony’s favorite foods are pizza, spaghetti and Brussel sprouts. Tony’s likes to cook and always enjoyed luncheons with Judy. Together they had a good time and made a hobby of collecting various quotes.

Some of Tony and Judy’s favorite magazines have been National Geographic and Better Homes and Gardens. Tony also enjoys animal & nature conservation TV shows.

The most difficult times of Tony’s life were during the 90’s stock market crash, when his business went down to nothing.

He learned to deal with the sudden severe downturn by downsizing his business and reducing the number of employees. As a result, Tony and Judy had to do most of the work.

The most difficult time of Tony’s life was, of course, suffering the loss of his beloved wife Judith on June 17, 2018.

Of all Tony’s achievements, he is most proud of the family he and Judith have raised. He takes pride in the success of his children and enjoys seeing the fruits of their labor. Tony and Judy worked hard to develop and instill positive beliefs and values in their children. Together they taught unconditional love and kindness, honesty, hard work, respect for others, co-operation, compassion and forgiveness.

The best decision Tony’s ever made was to come to this country and create a life for himself and his family.

Tony would most like to be remembered for his outlook on life and his advice to his children and grandchildren. The legacy he would

like to leave is his work ethic and his belief that hard work and diligence have a moral benefit and strengthen character. As his saying goes, and as owner of Bucky’s Pizza & Subs, “Hard Work is Key Ingredient”.

This is the life of Antonio & Judy DiCicco.

“I Love You All”