{"id":16201,"date":"2024-04-19T13:52:43","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T17:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/?page_id=16201"},"modified":"2024-04-22T20:56:49","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T00:56:49","slug":"mary-ann-mattone-and-joseph-m-mattone-sr-biography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/mary-ann-mattone-and-joseph-m-mattone-sr-biography\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary Ann Mattone and Joseph M. Mattone, Sr. Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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From St. John’s University:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

St. John\u2019s University mourns the passing of Joseph M. Mattone, Sr.<\/b> \u201953C, \u201955L, \u201994HON, Chairman, Mattone Investors, LLC; distinguished alumnus; Trustee Emeritus; generous benefactor; philanthropist; and patriarch of the notable Mattone family.<\/p>

\u201cSt. John\u2019s University and metropolitan New York have lost a cherished son and torchbearer for the transformative power of the St. John\u2019s experience,\u201d stated Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President. \u201cWhile his earthly light is extinguished, his impactful legacy burns bright and warms the beloved Mattone family and the extended family of St. John\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>

If success and prosperity\u2014regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position\u2014personify the American dream, Mr. Mattone far exceeded his humble beginnings. But his colorful life and dynamic personality were more about envisioning the hidden potential in people and property. Throughout his 92 years, he helped develop people and places. He also helped neighbors and neighborhoods attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable and be recognized by others for the goodness he saw early in them.<\/p>

Born in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, NY, in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, Mr. Mattone was the last of nine children. While his parents worked and his siblings took jobs at young ages to help with the family\u2019s finances, Joe, as the youngest, was the beneficiary of their sacrifices.<\/p>

He would recall getting his strong work ethic from his immigrant family experience and following the example set by his father and noted the deep sense of faith he gained from his mother. Mr. Mattone would hold to those values throughout his accomplished life.<\/p>

He attended P.S. 17 in Brooklyn, Stuyvesant High School, and St. John\u2019s Prep. At St. John\u2019s and the School of Law, he graduated cum laude earning his bachelor\u2019s and law degrees in just five years. As the only one in his family to graduate from college, he seized his opportunities.<\/p>

\u201cHe has an incredible fondness for St. John\u2019s University and St. John\u2019s Law,\u201d his son Michael X. Mattone \u201991L told QNS.com in 2014. \u201cThe Vincentian fathers allowed his family to pay tuition when they could, and he never forgot that.\u201d
At St. John\u2019s, he met his first love, Irene Ficarra; they married in July 1956 and had seven children. Many Mattone children and grandchildren would follow their parents\u2019 path to St. John\u2019s University and the School of Law. After Irene\u2019s death from cancer, he married Mary Ann Pessolano on May 18, 1991, and Mary Ann and Joe were regulars at events and special occasions for decades.<\/p>

\u201cThe impact and contributions of Joe Mattone and his extended and beloved family is immeasurable,\u201d shared longtime friend Rev. Bernard M. Tracey, C.M. \u201970C. \u201cIn his life and work, Joe understood and lived the Vincentian mission because he was shaped by it. His local philanthropy is well-known, but he also supported Vincentian works and initiatives worldwide; the far reach, generosity, and legacy of Joe impacts countless people.\u201d<\/p>

After opening his first Brooklyn law office, in a home built by his maternal Italian-immigrant grandfather, Mr. Mattone served as legal counsel for various local businesses and soon developed a keen eye for real estate development opportunities. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he worked on developing commercial and industrial properties in Brooklyn and Queens, NY. As his success grew, he always remembered his humble roots, often investing and providing economic development opportunities in working-class neighborhoods, including downtown Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens.<\/p>

\u201cHis connection to St. John\u2019s was legendary,\u201d said Associate Vice President of University Communications and Public Affairs, Brian Browne. \u201cThe late Governor Mario M. Cuomo, his childhood friend and St. John\u2019s classmate, would frequently describe Joe \u2018as the man who holds the deed on St. John\u2019s.\u2019 He was referring to the fact that, as a young developer, Joe purchased the 96 Schermerhorn Street property of the old St. John\u2019s University campus in Brooklyn. He loved St. John\u2019s\u2014everything it stands for and how it changed his life.\u201d
Today, Mattone Investors, LLC, is a Queens-based, family-owned-and-operated company specializing in acquiring, developing, and managing commercial, residential, and industrial real estate. The firm has acquired and developed a portfolio of more than four million square feet, mostly in the New York metropolitan area.<\/p>

A political power broker, Mr. Mattone was active in philanthropic and political fundraising. If there was a cause or candidate that he believed in, he would lend financial support, build coalitions, and more importantly, provide his political acumen, business sensibility, and inherent instinct to champion the underdog and underserved. Mr. Mattone spent his life and career instilling values of charity, service to the less fortunate, and commitment to the community into the lives of his seven children and 27 grandchildren.<\/p>

Mr. Mattone was the first member of The Founders Society at St. John\u2019s University. The Founders Society consists of alumni and friends who have left an indelible mark on the St. John\u2019s community, donating cumulative gifts of one million dollars or more to the University.<\/p>

He also served as a founding member of the Board of Governors and, later, as a Trustee and Trustee Emeritus. Continuing that proud tradition of supporting alma mater, he was a major contributor to the building of St. Thomas More Church on the Queens, NY, campus; was the benefactor of the Mattone Family Atrium at St. John\u2019s School of Law; and made a transformational gift to the law school to establish the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law.<\/p>

His external affiliations, memberships, honors, and awards are legion, and he always wore them proudly on his lapel. His College Point, NY, office and Douglaston, NY, home are decorated with plaques, medals, and commendations highlighting his countless honors and achievements.<\/p>

Mr. Mattone has been honored many times by his alma mater, St. John\u2019s University. He was awarded the President\u2019s Medal in 1985, the highest award given to an alumnus, and the Medal of Honor in 1993. He was bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Law in 1994 and received the Spirit of Service Award in 2004. In 2017, Mr. Mattone was honored at the School of Law\u2019s 90th Anniversary Gala for creating and funding the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law.<\/p>

At the 2023 President\u2019s Dinner, Michael X. Mattone \u201991L, current member of the Board of Trustees, lauded his father by observing, \u201cI don\u2019t think its\u2019s a coincidence that his Vincentian-influenced days at St. John\u2019s Prep, St. John\u2019s College, and the School of Law helped to shape him into who he became. Whatever service I have done, and will do, is a simple reflection of what I have experienced by being around this man.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mary Ann Mattone<\/strong> exemplifies a commitment to excellence in every aspect of her life. As a student in Mary Mount College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, Mary Ann Pessolano then earned her R.N. degree, and subsequently, her Master\u2019s degree in Public Health from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College.<\/p>

Mary Ann\u2019s professional background began in psychiatric nursing where she served as Research Coordinator for Neuroendocrine Studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University, where she later became Acting Director of Nursing. Mary Ann left academia in 1982 and became a broker in domestic and foreign exchange markets on Wall Street before joining her family\u2019s real estate business. Mary Ann Mattone has been involved in philanthropic pursuits in the Italian American community and the community at large for many years. Together with her beloved late husband, Joseph M. Mattone, Sr. she supported many charitable organizations, including the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW), Sons and Daughters of Italy, Futures in Education, the Holy Sepulcher in the United States, and The Italian Language Foundation. Mary Ann was a driving force in the establishment of St. John\u2019s University Rome Campus.<\/p>

As a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Mary Ann Mattone is admired and beloved by many. The Italian Language Foundation is humbled to have the opportunity to honor Mary Ann Mattone and her late husband, Joseph M. Mattone, Sr.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Link to Full Bio From St. John’s University: St. John\u2019s University mourns the passing of Joseph M. Mattone, Sr. \u201953C, \u201955L, \u201994HON, Chairman, Mattone Investors, LLC; distinguished alumnus; Trustee Emeritus;…Read More <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16201"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16215,"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16201\/revisions\/16215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/italianlanguagefoundation.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}