Celebrate Mario's Life: Help with Burial Costs

I first met MARIO DeMAIO when I moved to my home in Dumbo. Back then, this desolate, run-down waterfront neighborhood had no name. Inhabiting the terrain were factories, printers, sweatshops, and a small community of 200 struggling artists.

There was one tenement building where a few families lived. On the top floor were the DeMaios, they were a local fixture. Year-round, the many DeMaio kids would ride their bikes up and down Front Street. In the summer, the entire clan would hang out in their lawn chairs on their corner with their grill and the baby pool.

If you lived or worked here, then you knew Mario. Full of NYC swagger and street smarts, he was a big heart who always made you laugh. A true Nuyorican, he loved to enjoy life and be part of the community. If he were your friend, he would always want to protect you as much as he wanted to party with you.

His life was full of challenges. He used them to evolve and become more resilient. He did his best and became the super of several buildings in the area. This role earned him the affectionate name SUPER MARIO. He also found some sweet love with his lady, Milagros.

In the last few years, Mario battled cancer. He chose to face this demon on his own. It took a lot of courage and strength of character to endure the terrible pain and uncertainty of the disease.

Mario passed away last week. With his passing, his Dumbo family feels a terrible void. He embodied so much of the spirit of the waterfront and the life of early Dumbo. Plus, what a wonderful friend he was. They don't make many like him.

THANK YOU TO MISTER MARIO, OUR SUPERHERO.

Please contribute to this fund. It will help pay the cost of a proper burial for our beloved Mario.

If you wish to participate in the services for Mario, here are the details

VISITATION

Sunday, October 27th, from 5 pm to 9 pm

Cobble Hill Chapel at 171 Court St, Brooklyn, NY (by Dean Street)

BURIAL

Monday, October 28th at 11 am

Evergreen Cemetery, 1629 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207

RECEPTION (Cash Bar)

Monday, October 28th from 3 pm to 9 pm

Superfine Restaurant, 126 Front Street, Dumbo, NYC