Gene Mazzella

Gene Mazzella was born March 23 1923, on the Island of Ponza, off the coast of Italy. In 1930, he traveled with his family to New York and began the American dream. With little opportunity in the old country, the Mazzella family prospered in the USA. Gene served his country overseas during World War II in the Army. After military service, he married Maria Amalfitano in New York, whose family also immigrated from Ponza Italy, started a family and moved to Michigan and got into the restaurant business. In 1953, he found a spot downriver in Trenton, opened Del’s Pizza, and worked with his family every day until his death on December 4, 2019. A humble man who knew so much for just having a High School education (class of 1941 Morris High School, NY). He spoke 4 languages fluently; English, French, Italian, and Latin. He loved the history of WWII, the operation of the military, and the different ranks of officers and their duties. Gene followed Michigan football from his youth, listening to games on the radio in New York, Tom Harmon and crew, and the Lions all the way back to Bobby Layne. Being Italian his favorite thing in the world was eating dinner prepared by his wife of nearly 70 years. His family will miss his conversations about music and the movies going back to the 1930s. Gene Mazzella was preceded in death by his parents Maria and Angelo, his four brothers, and one sister. He is survived by his wife Maria, and his children Tony, Diane (Gerry) Donnelly, Angela (Michael) Sims, and Frank. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Philip, Steven, Georgia, Colleen, Maria, and Marissa, and one great granddaughter, Avery.