Mario Ferraro

Mario Ignazio Ferraro, age 84, of Woodland Park, passed peacefully at home on Thursday, June 6, 2024, with the comfort of family by his side.

He was born in Santa Croce Camerina, Sicily, Italy and came to the United States by ship in February of 1955. He settled in Paterson as there was a large group of immigrants from the Santa Croce Camerina area of Italy. 

As a young man Mario was a golf caddy at the Orchard Hill Country Club in Paramus.  He had a loving personality and was loved by those he caddied for, even loved by one player who hit his ball into a sand trap and Mario handed him a putter instead of a sand wedge.  Mario grew to love the game of golf and encouraged his son Mario to play the game.  Mario went to Farleigh Dickinson University on a soccer scholarship.  During his college years and working towards his Masters Degree Mario worked as a driver for his uncle Angelo Ferraro’s liquor store in Paterson and after his schooling he worked as a Math Teacher for a few years.  After teaching he found work in Lyndhurst as a manager first for the Leslie Valves Company and later for the International Dynamics Corporation.  In 1971 Mario’s brother-in-law Sal DiNello convinced him he should start his own business.  After looking at several different businesses he decided on buying a precast concrete company named the Farrell Company in Totowa. They purchased Farrell on April 1, 1971, then integrated Totowa Concrete and the Crews Corporation in 1981.  As the company grew, they added the Mead-Wilbert Company in 1986 and in 1999 they bought in Shore Wilbert.  

Mario met the love of his life at Eastside High School in October of 1959. Mario’s was eating lunch with a friend and the boy wasn’t eating. Mario asked him what was the matter and the boy said he liked this girl Anna so much and she wouldn’t give him the time of day.  Anna happened to walk by the table and it was love at first sight for Mario.  The rest is history as they married on on June 27, 1965 at St Anthony’s Church in Paterson and honeymooned in Wildwood for five days. They met another couple and played volleyball on the beach.  Well Anna got so sunburned that she got sick and had blisters and welts.  So much for the honeymoon.  Their marriage was blessed with three children: Nadine in 1969 who passed away after just 47 days, Mario in 1972 and Richard “Richie” in 1974 who passed away on December 18, 1995…just a week before Christmas. Mario and Anna have had a loving and devoted marriage of 59 years. Her nicknames for Mario were Honey, POOH, and Tesoro. 

Mario was a determined, hard worker who had a work ethic like no other.  His workday consisted of going to work early, going home for dinner, took a nap, and then returned to work. He was generous to a fault and had a huge heart.  He was also protective of his beloved Anna and would have to accompany her on any shopping trip.  His heart was bigger than life and pounding with love. For over twenty years he served as President of the Santa Croce Camerina Club in Paterson.  Mario was also the Coach for the West Paterson Santa Croce Soccer Team. He was an amazing soccer player and coach to many but most of all an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. 

Mario was the devoted husband of fifty-nine years to Anna Ferraro; devoted father, Daddy, Pops, Papa Bear, and Chico Bear of Mario Ferraro, Jr. and his wife Erica of Wayne, the late Nadine Ferraro (d. 1969) and the late Richard “Richie” Ferraro (d. 1995); he was the cherished grandfather also known as Nonno and Nonni of Gia and Valentina Ferraro; loved brother of Joan DiNello and her husband Sal of Woodland Park, Tina LaCava of Totowa, and the late Emma Conte (d. 2023) and her late husband Francesco Conte (d.2019). 

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children's Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.