Obituary of Pasquale Bifulco

Obituary of Pasquale Bifulco Judge Pasquale Bifulco, known as "Patsy" or "Pat" was born on Richmond Avenue, in Staten Island on September 16, 1927. He was the last surviving of the six children born of Umberto and Rosa Bifulco. He had three brothers, Gennaro, Umberto Jr. and William, and two sisters, Agnes and Rey. Judge Bifulco grew up on the family farm in Bulls Head, and often reminisced about that life, "My parents and all the children worked during the farming season. The children would work after school, and we did our homework after supper." he would say. He attended elementary school at P.S. 22, where he said he got off to a bad start, "the principal picked me up to give me a hug, and I kicked her in the shin." After being left back twice, he graduated with honors. He attended Port Richmond High School for 2 ½ years before having to leave to help on the farm. He resumed his studies and graduated from Curtis High School Evening Division. Upon graduation Pat attended Wagner College, then applied and was admitted to St. John's University Law School, where his education was once again delayed, this time when he was drafted into the United States Army. Honorably discharged in 1952, Pat completed law school, graduating with an LLM degree. He passed the New York State Bar Exam in 1956, and shortly after, married Marjorie V. Cope of Brooklyn. Pasquale Bifulco practiced law for two insurance companies, prior to joining the Law firm of Jacobi D'Alesandro. He left to form his own practice, Pasquale Bifulco P.A. and finally in partnership with his son Jesse Bifulco, as Bifulco & Bifulco LLP. As an attorney he was known as the family's lawyer. One lawyer remarked at his judicial swearing in ceremony "Pat didn't have clients, he had friends." Judge Bifulco also ran for elective office. In 1972 he challenged, and lost, to John Marchi in the race for NY State Senate. In 1982 he ran for, and won the office of Civil Court Judge, and in 1992 won re-election, garnering 102,192 votes and the endorsement of the Democrat, Republican and Conservative parties. His home was not far from the Criminal Court where he sat as Judge for years. Pat spent summer afternoons gardening in his front yard on Cebra Avenue and received commendations from the Garden Club for his flowers. Once as he worked in the yard a criminal defendant walking past the house called out to him, "I'm being good Judge!" Judge Bifulco liked to say, "If you take good care of the plants, they will reward you," and then he would add "If only people were like that." He tended Staten Island like he tended his garden, spending countless hours volunteering in civic life, and the people did reward him by voting for him in record numbers. Judge Bifulco was a member of the congregation of Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church and committed a good part of his adult life to organizations that contributed to the quality of life on Staten Island. He was a past president of the Richmond County Bar Association, past County Commander of the Richmond County American Legion, a member of the Italian Club of Staten Island, and of the American Legion Cespino Russo Post 1544, and is a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He always found the common ground between the people who came before him. Once during a recess at the Civil Court two local attorneys asked him to informally resolve a dispute between their clients. He listened to the men and suggested a compromise. Without any procedure or court officer present, without the force of law, the men accepted the settlement and thanked him. A framed letter hung on the wall of his chambers at court. It was a letter from a litigant praising him effusively for being a great judge in her case. The woman who praised him in the letter had lost her case. At his private practice he worked after hours and on Saturdays even taking phone calls from clients during dinner. But after his wife Marjorie died, Pat was grateful for the regular schedule and the rules of judgeship which discourage taking an active role in public life. This afforded him the time to finish raising his two youngest children who were eight and twelve years old at time. He cooked pasta faggioli, and made dough and baked bread and focaccia, and pies - especially the "Pumpkinana" his recipe for pumpkin and banana pie which he brought to friends. He had a special relationship with the family dogs who all responded to his attention. He purchased the Samoyed, Smokey from a court reporter at the Worker's Compensation Board. Once as he drove to church in his Lincoln Continental, the Boxer, Tara chased after Pat's car, and when he stopped at a red light, she leapt through his window, landing next to him on the passenger seat. He would say of Cocoa, the cockapoo, the last animal companion he had "the only thing she can't do is speak she is so intelligent." Pat loved music, especially opera and Neapolitan folk songs. He owned many recordings of Mario Lanza and enjoyed translating the love stories contained in the songs from the Italian. He kept alive the Neapolitan sayings of his parents having once remarked of a small claims case, a dispute over tomato plants that grew over a property line, "ma quando d'cazzo". Judge Bifulco is predeceased by his wife, Marjorie (1983), he is survived by his five sons, three daughters, and 14 grandchildren: Matthew Bifulco and his wife Lynne Ann Bifulco and their children, John Joseph and Anthony; Patrick Bifulco and his wife Jen Bifulco;, David Bifulco and his wife Jane Bifulco and their children, Kari, Jamie and Christian; Rose Sullivan and her husband James Sullivan and their children, Marjorie and Quinn; James Bifulco and his wife Elizabeth Bifulco and their children, James and Francesca; Sarah Bifulco and her children Jacqueline and Mark; Jesse Bifulco and his wife Kristen Bifulco and their children Adam, Hope and Jesse Jr.; and Mary Bifulco. Funeral from the Matthew Funeral Home Inc., 2508 Victory Blvd. on Saturday, 5/22/2021, departing 10:15 AM. Funeral Mass will be held in Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church 11:00 AM. Interment to follow in Fairview Cemetery. Family and friends may visit Thursday and Friday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM.