Long Island, New York – Fred DeGiglio, 96, passed away at his home surrounded by family, on Monday afternoon,June 16, 2025. Born November 17,1928 in Giovinazzo, Italy, in the Puglia region, he was the son of Michael DeGiglio and Angela Turturro DeGiglio. His father died when he was 10 years old, and Fred went to live with his paternal grandfather in Naples. Food was scarce and they lived in extreme poverty. When he returned to Giovinazzo,his life’s struggles continued. At 12 years old, Fredbecame a fisherman to help support his family. During the next two years he also delivered food and products in horse- and mule-drawn carts to make extra money. It was then he found a lifelong love of horses and mules. Then, at 16, he was drafted into the Italian Navy.

In 1952, Fred met his wife, Rose, in Italy when she was visiting from the United States. With no money, heemigrated to the U.S to be with her, docking at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was his first time walking on North American soil. While in Halifax, he borrowed a dollar from a passenger to call Rose, telling her he would be there soon. He arrived in New York City to be reunited with his wife. He later became a proud U.S. citizen. True to his character, after 50 years Fred returned to Halifax to pay back the dollar he borrowed. It was donated to the Halifax society, and his story appeared in the Halifax newspaper.

Arriving in New York, he settled in Brooklyn with his wife’sfamily. Without speaking any English, he immediately began doing anything he could to make a living. Thisincluded fixing washing machines in a laundromat, driving an oil truck and doing anything he could to earn money. There was nothing that Fred could not take apart and fix. He was incredibly mechanically inclined, even without any formal education. Then, after seeing a construction site, he traveled every day for hours, asking for a job. After two months, his persistence paid off. He spent the next 55 years in the construction trade working for multiple companies, rising to the level of superintendent. In those 55 years, Fred got up every workday at 3:30 a.m. and battled hours of traffic. He also became fluent in English.He left construction for 15 years, becoming a dock builder superintendent at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Later, he went back to construction, retiring at the age of 77. Known as a bull by his coworkers, he was often called “the man.”

Fred and his wife, Rose, had two children, Linda and Michael, both born in Brooklyn. In 1962, Fred and his family moved to Farmingdale, Long Island, buying their first and only house. After Rose died in 1978, he met Pauline, who had four daughters: Shari, Ilene, Judy and Fran. Pauline was a widow herself. They married a few years later.

Stemming from his harsh youth, Fred was the ultimate survivor. He loved America and everything it stood for as well as the opportunities that made him an American success story. Further, pound for pound, Fred was the strongest man, which all his friends and family would agree. Anyone who ever shook hands with Fred felt his incredibly powerful grip, reminiscent of a grizzly bear’s. Even in his sixties, he would snap a leather belt with his stomach muscles whenever he was challenged and could pick up nine bricks with one overhand grip multiple times. He lived by the credo “the difficult done immediately, the impossible by appointment only.”

Fred also had an incredible voice and loved to sing Italian love songs. He also loved watching cowboy movies, especially John Wayne westerns. Fred always loved to be with people and was a master storyteller of his life. Additionally, he was a history buff and read and shared stories of world history. He was armor plated on the outside with a warm heart inside.

Another passion was growing tomatoes and vegetables in his backyard. He was also a master winemaker, crushing his own grapes to produce wine for sixty years. He loved the occasional martini or a good bottle of scotch with his family. And Fred truly became a master chef of Italian food with recipes from the old country. He cooked every day in his retirement for the big midday meal. No one could make baked ziti and focaccia better than Freddy’s.

Freddy had many quotes about life. Two of his favorites were “to be good is not so good, and to be bad is not so bad”; and “where you are I have been, and where I am you will be.” In all, Fred lived an extraordinary life and was always thankful for his blessings. He was a devoutCatholic attending his neighborhood church every Sunday he could. He yearned to return to his hometown, and he and Pauline purchased an apartment in Giovinazzo, Bari,where he returned to his roots and legacy each summer.After years of flying coach, they upgraded to business class after years of sacrifice!

Fred DeGiglio is survived by his wife, Pauline; two children; four stepchildren; 12 grandchildren; and 17 great grandchildren. Fred truly loved life, and we celebrate his incredible journey. He was like no other and will be so deeply missed by family and friends alike. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.