John Bassano

John R. Bassano, Sr., born November 2, 1940, died on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at the age of 82. He is survived by his sons, John Jr. (Josephine), Joseph (Ellen), and daughter, Christine Pirone (Jack); grandchildren, Joseph, Amanda, Katelyn, Julianna, John Paul, Jack, and Ashley; sisters Darlene Cammarata and Barbara Bassano; brothers Tommy Ragazzi and Daniel Bassano; former wife, Shirley; and many nieces, nephew, and lifelong friends. He is pre-deceased by his mother, Mary Ragazzi, stepfather Rudy Ragazzi and his brothers, Robert, and Billy Ragazzi.

John lived at Mount Loretta as an orphan until he joined the United States Navy where he was stationed on the USS Forrestal. He later enlisted in the US Navy Reserves and became Yeoman First Class Officer.

John joined the Fire Department of New York shortly after leaving the navy and later became an FDNY Fire Marshal. He also became a National Advisor U.S. Police Defensive Tactics Associate Instructor at the FBI and New York City Police Academy. He was a member of the FDNY Honor Guard and served as president of the Fraternal Order Police (Lodge 20). He also trained to become an EMT. He was the recipient of the Thomas A. Kenny Medal in 1986 by the FDNY.

John dedicated most of his life to the sport of Judo where he earned his 7th-degree black belt. He opened his own judo school, Richmond County Judo Club in Tottenville in 1978 and later took over the New York Dojo. He also coached judo at Staten Island College. He was awarded many medals during his competitive judo years and was selected to train in 1992 as the coach of the Olympic Judo Camp in Lake Placid. He was the four-time U.S. Masters Champion and most recently was inducted into the National Judo Hall of Fame in 2021, an honor he greatly deserved for all his years of dedication to the sport. John’s devotion to the sport created so many champions and dedicated black belts. He was a “Sensei” to many, a title he took to heart, and will always be remembered for changing so many lives for the better.

In his early years, John was the lead singer of the band, The Vibraharps. John’s love of photography resulted in his own photo studio, Jay Cee Photo and he also freelanced numerous weddings. He was an avid motorcyclist, riding until he was 80 years old, and was a member of the Blue Knights and Islanders Motorcycle Club.