JOSEPH A. GARGIULO
Sergeant, United States Army
T H E I R H E R O S T O R Y
My Father
by Mark Gargiulo
When I sing, I can't help but hear my father’s voice. Dad knew how to take care of good pipes — he was a plumber’s son, after all. He had a fine voice in his youth, which eventually led him to win the Major Bose Amateurs in his late thirties and earn his place among stars like Liberace, Beverly Sills, and Frank Sinatra.
This kickstarted his vocal career on a nine-month singing tour across the United States, eventually bringing him back to New York to perform in four different Rodgers and Hart musicals. He married my mother two weeks before leaving home to serve in World War II, where his singing talents were put to use raising money for war bonds, working beside Cesar Romero.
Dad was a father long before I arrived. He returned home to raise my six older siblings and me while serving as a pillar of the community, running the Goshen Hardware Store, caring for historic homes, and helping his neighbors. His world was one of mutual respect and consideration.
He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend. The folks around him mattered, and he made sure they knew it.
When people say my voice is a gift, I can’t help but agree. I know where it comes from.
H O N O R E D B Y
The Gargiulo Family