A.B. man remembered after tragic death

Hundreds of mourners packed Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Inwood Monday morning for a Mass of Christian Burial that paid tribute to Arturo Manzo, the owner of a local Italian restaurant who was remembered by friends and family as a man who loved to make others happy. The 64-year-old Atlantic Beach resident died on May 6 when he fell 40 feet from the roof of an Inwood building.

Police said that Manzo fell from the roof of a medical building at 372 Doughty Blvd., apparently by accident, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Manzo was on the roof helping a member of his family, who owned the Inwood building, repair some damage caused by the March 13 nor'easter, his brother-in-law Louie Curra said. Curra recalled that Manzo would frequently go out of his way to help others. "With a smile on his face, he did everything out of kindness," Curra said. "He gave everything to people he was friends with." 

Manzo was born in Napoli, Italy, and moved to Cedarhurst when he was in his 30s. He started out in the warehouse business before deciding to buy an abandoned property near Lawrence High School in 1994 and turning it into a pizzeria called Ciao Italia, which later expanded into a full-service Italian restaurant. Ciao Italia became a popular after-school eating spot for Lawrence High School students, many of whom developed a rapport with Manzo. 

"He had a knack with the young kids," said Curra. "Everyone knew him as the man with the broken English but who was respected and who was a friend."

In 2002, Manzo relocated Ciao Italia from Cedarhurst to Hewlett, and three years ago he sold the restaurant to his master cook. 

Manzo was an avid soccer fan since his youth in Italy, and he coached the Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club and played for a team of over-40 players called the Baldies. His daughter, Rosa, said that regardless of whether he was coaching or playing, he never got upset when his team lost because he just wanted everyone to have fun. "My father just loved making other people happy," Rosa said. "He always put other people's needs in front of his own." 

Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise, a good friend of Manzo's, described him as "one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet." "He was a very kind-hearted guy," said Parise. "He was real community-minded." 

Manzo is survived by his wife, Marina; his daughter; a son, Chris (Dineen); three brothers, Leo, Ciro and Lucia; a sister, Giovanna, and his mother, Rosa. Funeral arrangements were handled by Charles Moreli, and a wake was held at Donza Funeral Home in East Rockaway. 

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