Obituary of Mary Coppola

Mary Gagliano Coppola (my Mom) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian Immigrant parents Mario Gagliano and Laura Ruisi Gagliano on September 11,1926. She was one of eight children. Her siblings included brothers Tommy, Charlie and Philip and sisters Josephine, Vivian, Yolanda and Lea. They lived in Red Hook Brooklyn during the tough years of the depression wherethe nuclear family was an integral part of day to day life. Older siblings cared for the younger as the parents tried to provide a living during these hard times. Mary was always a high achiever and excelled in school where she attended St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Grammar School.

Upon graduation from Grammar school she attended Needle Trades High School where she met my father, Frank Coppola. My father told me that my mother was a little aloof and played hard to get. So one winter day out of frustration, he washed her face with a snowball. My mother would always say “oh Frank” when he would tell that story. That was the start of a love affair that spanned more than 70 years. Their courtship was interrupted by World War II where my father served in the Pacific theater as a sailor. Mary continued her studies and became a milliner (hat maker / designer) and worked in the NY Fashion district. After the war on July 7th 1946 my parents married and after a short period of living with my grandparents they bought a house in Brooklyn at 1122-72nd St. They had three children, Denise, Frank and Daria. Mary was a homemaker and nurturing mother during her children’s early years until economic circumstances necessitated that she return to the work force.

After working at various jobs she started work at Martha’s of Park Ave a very exclusive and prestigious dress salon. She loved working at Martha’s as she was always interested in Fashion since her early days at Needle Trades High School. She once again excelled and she rose to become the Directrice of the Salon. Her clientele included some of the most glamorous and wealthiest women of the world: Ivana Trump, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, her sister Lee Radziwill, Rose Kennedy and the Kennedy daughters, Maria Shriver, Brooke Astor, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Mrs. J. DuPont, Her Highness the Princess of Thailand, Imelda Marcos, all of the wives of the Arab Monarchs and many of the distinguished stage, opera singers, and actresses of the world too numerous to mention. She was instrumental in staging and coordinating fashion shows and worked with and helped promote many well know designers which included James Galanos, Bill Blass, Pauline Trigere, Oscar de la Renta, Arnold Scaasi ,Yves St. Laurent, Christian LaCroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Gianfranco Ferre, Valentino, Andre Laug, and Andrea Odicini

In spite of this incredible career her most important accomplishment was her devotion and dedication to her husband and her family. Her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren always came first. Following a stroke, my parents moved to 79 Yates Road, Manalapan in 2005. My mother was an incredible person whose inner strength allowed her to overcome breast cancer, a stroke and back surgery which she endured at age 85. 

She will be missed by her surviving family which includes her children and their spouses: Denise Ditota Krohn and John Krohn, Daria and Mike D’Agostino, Frank and Doris Coppola, her grandchildren and their spouses: Robert and Danielle Ditota, Marissa and Roman Santoro, Jarod and Amy D’Agostino, Adam D’Agostino, Frank and Jerzie Ann Coppola, Stephen and Bernadette Coppola her great grandchildren: Annabella and Anthony Ditota, Christian and Giavanna Santoro, Lucy D’Agostino, Dominic and Luca Coppola.

Frank her grandson expressed it well when he wrote on her 80th birthday:

Grandma,

You are the embodiment of love, devotion, kindness and familial duty. The master of making each person feel special, giving each their moment in the sun. These words were never truer spoken! No one could ever fill your shoes, or touch so many hearts as you have.