Obituary of Michael Acquavella

Michael Acquavella, 89, of Monroe, N.J., a former Staten Islander, retired textile salesman and loving patriarch, died Friday in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, N.J. Born and raised in Naples, Italy, he was educated there. He immigrated to the United States in 1955, moving to Manhattan. In 1975 he settled in Great Kills and lived there until 2007, when he relocated to Monroe. Mr. Acquavella was a textile salesman for Midtown Woolens for 30 years, until retiring in 1985. For 40 years, he also had his own business, working as a concessionaire at many street festivals, including the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy, where he sold zeppoles. He was a talented cook and baker and enjoyed making Italian specialties, especially struffoli at Christmas and grain pie at Easter. He enjoyed traveling to Italy to visit family and spending winters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In Monroe, Mr. Acquavella was a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord R.C. Church. While living in Great Kills, he was a parishioner of St. Clare's R.C. Church. Surviving are his wife of 66 years, Maria; his son, Anthony; his daughters, Carmel (Bunny) Reddington and Gemma Deliso; six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. The funeral will be Monday from the David DeMarco Funeral Home, Monroe, with a mass at 11 a.m. in Nativity of Our Lord Church. Burial will follow in Woodbridge (N.J.) Memorial Gardens.