Gerlando Catania

Gerlando "Jerry" Catania
(December 11, 1924 - October 5, 2022)

Gerlando "Jerry" Catania, 97, passed away peacefully on October 5th, surrounded by his loved ones. Gerlando (or Giu Giu, as his wife called him) is survived by his spouse, Anna Catania.

Born in Ribera, Sicily on December 11, 1924, Gerlando trained to become a talented cabinetmaker and artisan woodworker. He and Anna met in 1954 and they married later that year. In the 1960's, he courageously emigrated to New York City, to build a more prosperous life for his family.

In the family's new home of Staten Island, Gerlando grew his company, Catania Custom Woodworking, which he operated for over 40 Years. Throughout his career, he trained dozens of apprentices, several of which went on to have their own successful woodworking businesses, in the United States, Canada, and Italy.

In addition to his passion for woodworking, Gerlando had many other hobbies. He enjoyed traveling — going back to Sicily for the summer to visit friends and family, visiting various European cities, taking cruises with his wife to the Caribbean Islands, and, once, taunting alligators with a stick in the Florida Everglades. He also loved playing Sicilian cards, from games outdoors as a young man, to games around the kitchen table with his friends into his old age. He endured as a formidable player of Scopa and Briscola well into his mid-90s, outlasting the physically demanding woodworking he continued until his early-90s.

Throughout Gerlando's life, it was clear what mattered most to him: his beloved family and friends. Everything he did was for them, and when his daughters were grown, with their own families, it was his dream to have the whole family live on the same block, just as they did in his small hometown in Sicily. He was able to realize this dream in 1994.

In addition to his wife, Anna, Gerlando leaves behind a large family who will miss him dearly. He is survived by his daughters Cathy Porto (Michael), Lilly (Martin Blondell), and Franca Morvillo (Victor), 10 grandchildren: Anne (Paul), David (Anna), Alexandra (Lonnie), Daniel (Laura), Victor (Liana), Michael (Amanda), Samantha (Jon), Gerard, Joseph (Rachel), and Robert. He is also lucky to have lived long enough to see the birth of 6 great-grandchildren: Fiona, Aria, Zoe, Joanna, Zadie, and Bryce — they will miss their Bisnonno, their Papa Jerry.

Visitation will be held at Bedell Pizzo Funeral Home, (718) 984-0913 at 7447 Amboy Road Staten Island, NY 10307 on Friday, October 7, 2022 from 2-4pm and 7-9pm ET .

A funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph Church 16 Poplar Avenue Staten Island, NY 10309 on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 10:00am ET .