Upper West Side Grocer Angelo Zingone, of Zingone Brothers, Dies at 88

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Angelo R. Zingone, a longtime Upper West Side resident and beloved member of the family behind the neighborhood institution Zingone Brothers, died peacefully surrounded by his family on January 27. He was 88.

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Born in 1938 on Italy’s Amalfi Coast to Raffaele and Rosa Zingone, Angelo was the eldest of five children. In his late teens, he emigrated to New York with his father, working to earn enough money to bring over his mother and siblings and reunite their family on the Upper West Side. It was the beginning of a lifelong connection to the neighborhood he would call home for decades.

After arriving in the United States in the mid-1950s, Angelo began working at his uncles’ and cousins’ grocery store, Zingone Brothers, located on Columbus Avenue near West 82nd Street. Founded by Italian immigrant Domenic Zingone in 1927, the family-owned market has served generations of Upper West Siders and remains a staple of the community today. Angelo dedicated his entire adult life to the store, helping uphold its reputation for fresh produce, quality goods, and warm, family-style service. Even after retiring, he frequently stopped by to visit relatives, customers, and longtime friends.

In the mid-1960s, Angelo returned to Italy to marry his wife, Maria. Together they settled on the West Side and raised their two children, Rosa and Ralph. Married for more than 60 years, the couple built a life rooted in family, faith, and hard work. Angelo later found joy in spending time with his grandchildren, taking long walks around Central Park and the reservoir, and returning to Italy for extended visits, where he loved fishing, walking to the beach, and reconnecting with friends and relatives.

Angelo is survived by his wife, Maria; daughter, Rosa Scalzo; son, Ralph; grandchildren Marianna, Joseph, William, and Grace; sister, Rachele Accardi; and many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Italy.

A funeral Mass was held on January 31 at Holy Trinity Church on West 82nd Street. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation.

Angelo Zingone will be remembered not only as a devoted family man, but also as a familiar and comforting presence on Columbus Avenue.

Here’s his official obituary.

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