Michael Bianco

Michael J. Bianco, age 76 of West Milford, died on Thursday, January 27, 2022. Mike had been a plumber with the New York City Plumbers Union, UA Local 1, in Long Island City, since 1967.

Born in the Bronx, Mike chose to join the U.S. Navy before he even finished high school. On his seventeenth birthday, he convinced his mother to sign his enlistment papers, and off he went. After completing his basic training at the Great Lakes Navy Boot Camp, his first active duty mission was to the Bay of Pigs in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He told his wife that they followed a submarine under their ship for three days when the alarm called all to man their battle stations THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  They beat record time in everyone ready at their stations. Then suddenly the submarine took off at knots that, at that time, were unheard of. He also served aboard ship during the Vietnam War.

A Navy man through and through and through, years later he joined the Navy Reserve and was reactivated several times to Active Duty and served during Desert Storm in the 1990’s. He was proud to have trained with the Navy SEALS, and he was a sharpshooter, having earned his Marksmanship Award. He earned other medals in his Navy career.

Mike met his wife, Carol Robinson, at the Westbridge Lounge in the Bronx. Carol will never forget that night, December 16, 1966, when he first asked her to dance. At the end of the evening, he asked her what she was doing for New Year’s Eve, and she said “spending it with you!” He proposed just a few months later while they were on a date in Throggs Neck, and Carol gladly accepted. They married on June 22, 1968 at St. Peters Episcopal Church in the Bronx, followed by a honeymoon to Miami. They settled in for several years in the Bronx, and in 1973 built and owned their first home in Putnam Valley, NY where they lived across the street from a beautiful lake and spent 9 wonderful years there having great BBQs with family and friends and lots of swimming, walking on the ice with their children, and sleigh riding on steep hills. Carol will never forget their first New Year’s Eve party when there was a big snow storm and Mike had to go out and help cars get up “cardiac hill” (appropriately nick named).  Mike’s favorite aunt and uncle, Cecile and Sparky, and cousins had to stay overnight.  It was great fun. Tired of so much snow they moved to Phoenix in 1982, but became home sick and moved back east to NJ in 1983 where they lived in Bergenfield.  In 2008 they moved to West Milford to Bald Eagle Adult Resident Condos. They chose West Milford because their oldest daughter, Kim and family, lived there and they loved the condo nearby and the idea of less work for them. A close knit family, a few years later their younger daughter, Terri and family, also moved to West Milford.  They have enjoyed fifty-three years together, with more “ups” than “downs” and lots of laughs! They were the love of each other’s life, and made many great memories together. Carol will miss him dearly.

Mike was blessed with more friends than he could ever count. He was simply a “great guy” with a wonderful sense of humor. A ‘charmer’ of sorts, who loved to make people smile and laugh. He was generous to a fault and always willing to help others, and since he was a plumber, there was always somebody asking for his help! Mike made lifelong friendships.

His three best friends are Richard Decker, Jimmy Bettino and Luis Ventura.

Richard Decker and Mike and Richard served in the Navy together and became best “buds”.  Richard was with Mike when he met Carol but they lost touch.  A few years later they “bumped” into each other at Mamma Leone’s in NYC where each couple were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Coincidently they wed on the exact same day in 1968. The two couples celebrated their anniversary together every year since! They quickly became part of Richard and Jeanette’s family with Richard becoming Mike’s brother. With children of similar ages they went on family trips to Ocean City, picnics at Hacklebarney and had countless good times.

Mike met Jimmy Bettino at plumbing school in in Manhattan in the late sixties.  Jimmy had not yet been married to Carol.  When Jimmy did wed, they quickly became “couple” friends spending late nights playing cards, charades and any games they could think of as well as eating Dunkin Donuts to the ‘wee’ hours. Jimmy and Carol also having children of similar ages, “adopted” Mike and Carol into their family. Jimmy and Mike had the same sense of humor, always joking.  And Jimmy also became like a brother to Mike.  When there was no work for them in New York, The Union sent them to Canada. When they came back they joked that they could speak French. “La table, la chair, etc.  And wouldn’t you know it, Volkswagen came out with La Car.

Of course, there is Luis Ventura and wife Jackie. Such special, precious people to Mike and Carol. Mike met Luis in the 80’s in the Navy reserves.  They hit it off immediately.  Both being sharpshooters and serving for a time in the same reserve unit, they became close friends. They became shooting buddies at rifle ranges (never hunters either of them). Over the years also becoming “couple friends” and once again Mike was like a brother to Luis and Jackie.  Lots of movies, eating out, family functions and great times.  Never could Mike or anyone meet more gracious, loving, and generous people.  

Mike is survived by his beloved wife Carol of West Milford, NJ, by their two daugthers; Kim Kuhn and her husband Chris of West Milford, Teresa Andiorio and her husband Mike of West Milford, three grandchildren; Hunter and Lex Kuhn and Kayla Andiorio, his siblings; Charlie Moore and his wife Liz of Fort Worth, TX, Patricia Andersen of Lake Villa, IL, Barbara O’Sullivan of Closter, NJ, Olga Wentler of Wilsonville, IL, Louis Moore and his wife Theresa of Norfolk, MA, and many nieces and nephews. Mike was predeceased by his mom; Jean Skarpecka-Moore, and by his sister; Katrina Skarpecka.