Obituary of Santo C. Abruzzo

Santo Abruzzo, 65, of Staten Island, formerly of Brooklyn and Manhattan, passed away on February 14, 2019 at Richmond University Hospital after an extended battle with cancer. He was the loving father of Nicole Abruzzo (Victor) and Alex Abruzzo (Annie); devoted grandfather of Victor and Khaleesi; eldest brother to Donny (Shavana), Joseph (Loretta), Margaret (Gerald), Catherine, and Michael (Liz). Santo was blessed to love many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, as well as numerous cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his parents Joseph and Carmen Abruzzo. Santo – or Sandy, as he was known to those closest to him – was born in Manhattan, later lived in Brooklyn and attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Academy. In his younger years, he worked as a chef in Greenwich Village at his family's restaurant, Monte's, and later at Edward Moran's Bar and Grill in Battery Park. Santo was exceptionally skilled in the kitchen, with a specialty in Italian family-style cuisine. Santo had a passion for sports and thoroughbred racehorses, and he could often be found taking in the races, either at the racetrack or on television. He loved to travel anywhere with a beach and was lucky enough to have visited many places in the Caribbean as well as an impressive thirteen trips to Hawaii. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made to The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) to help provide retired Thoroughbred racehorses with opportunities for new careers and lives, in memory of Santo Abruzzo. A memorial service will be held for Santo at the Matthew Funeral Home, Inc., 2508 Victory Boulevard, on Sunday February 24th. Family and friends are invited to visit on Sunday the 24th, from 2:00 to 6:00pm.