Antonio Manente

Antonio Manente, age 80 of Wayne, left us to be with Our Lord on Thursday, July 16, 2020 with his loving family at his bedside.  He had lived in Wayne for the past thirty years.

Antonio’s career spanned more than forty-five years as a piano technician with Baldwin Pianos, at their showroom on 58th Street in Manhattan.

Antonio was born in Molfetta, Italy, one of seven children.  His father Vito Manente worked as a Longshoreman and was able to establish himself in Hoboken, NJ, in the 1950’s.  He brought his family over to America.  Antonio was blind but you would never know it because of his independence and love of life. He attended a vocational school for the blind in New York City and it was here that he learned piano.  He had already developed a love of music and singing as a young boy, and through this program he learned to play piano in record time.  He graduated from the program in just three months, faster than anyone ever had before that!  His hearing was exceptional and his ability to tune a piano was amazing.  Working for Baldwin Piano in New York City enabled him to earn distinction for his skill.  Throughout his career, he was personally requested to tune pianos for performers such as Leonard Bernstein, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Debra Gibson, and many more elite musical artists.  They all knew him by name.  Antonio had a true love of music, and especially the opera.  He was a marvelous singer himself, and sang in his church choir for several years at Our Lady of the Valley church in his hometown of Wayne.  His talent, passion, and love will be missed by all.

Antonio has been married for sixty years to Antonia (nee Raffaele).  They met when Antonio was a teenager seeking medical care for his blindness.  He was a patient at the Clinica Motolese in Martina Franca, Italy where he met a cute nurse named Antonia.  They began dating and after Antonio came to America, he invited her to join him here and they could get married. Her parents would not allow that, and told her that if he wants to marry, then he will come to Italy and they will marry first.  Antonio obliged, went to Italy and they married on September 4, 1960 in Molfetta.  They lived in Hoboken, Union City, and settled to their home in Wayne in 1990.  They have since traveled back to Italy on many occasions, including a memorable family vacation to Lourdes and Fatima, where they visited with family there.  They have enjoyed sixty years of marriage, always sticking together, through thick and thin, sharing genuine love and loyalty.  Antonia will miss him dearly.

Antonio is survived by his beloved wife Antonia (nee Rafaella) of Wayne, four children; Vito Manente of Union City, NJ, and his daughter-in-law Denise Manente of Union City, NJ,  Filomena Manente of Jupiter, FL, Nancy Antolini and her husband Justin of Wyomissing, PA, and Tony (Reno) Manente and his wife Brianna of Wayne, NJ, eight grandchildren; Christina, Vito, Anthony, Victoria, Jacob, Roger, Antonia, and Antonio James, and three great-grandchildren; CJ, Juliana, and Eleanora.  He is also survived by his six brothers and sisters; Joseph Manente and his wife Maria of Moonachie, NJ, Maddalena Binetti of New York, Louisa Mongelli and her husband Vito of Woodridge, NJ, Tina Petruzzella of Woodridge, NJ, Franca Orsini of Hackensack, NJ, and Antonia Mezzina of Moonachie, NJ.