Denny Pizzini

Denny Pizzini

Denny Pizzini, sculptor and Civil War historian, 88, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 3, 2024.   

He was born in Brooklyn in 1935 to Angeles Martinez of Madrid, Spain and Umberto Pizzini of Riva Del Garda, Italy, both immigrants who loved this country dearly.  

This love and pride was passed on to their son.  He proudly served in the Korean War at a U.S. Strategic Air Command base as a staff Sergeant and Crew Chief of a B-36 in the 70th Bomber Squadron. It was also there that he began painting popular "pin-up girls" onto B-36 bombers. Returning home to New York City, and with no bombers to paint, he transformed his favorite subjects into sculptures, creating a handful for friends and family. After serving he took over the family printing business, Modern Litho, with his brothers, Jose and Pierre. Modern Litho was founded in the 1920s by their father, Umberto, who first made his living as a successful commercial artist and master calligrapher, and then as a lithographer and printer.  In 1965 Denny moved his young family into his dream home on Staten Island. He designed and helped build the house just as the Verrazano Bridge opened. 

He always loved nature, and as a teenager often camped on the island. Before the bridge was built he would take his bicycle on the Brooklyn Ferry and spend many days at the beaches here. In the late ‘70s he was part of a group of friends and neighbors who started Friends of Blue Heron Pond. Together they were responsible for saving hundreds of acres of forest from development.  Blue Heron has since become a cherished New York City park. In the ‘90s, Denny rekindled his love  of sculpting, broadening his subject matter, including commissions for various historical and local figures. 

Over the years he was a member of various groups, including the South Shore Artist’s Group, VFW Post 1574 - The Blazing Star Post, and was a member of The Colonial Club since the ‘60s. Always an avid history buff,  this passion led him to form an historical reenactment artillery battery, Winslow’s Battery D, right here on the island. For more than 40 years he attended Civil War reenactments, competed with artillery, and presented to school groups.  Community was so important to him and so were the arts.  He greatly enjoyed opera and bluegrass music, as well as travel and dancing, especially the Lindy and Tango. 

Denny is survived by  his wife, Julieta; son, Gregory; daughter, Denise; grand children, Darby, Emiko and Noriko; brother, Pierre; nieces and nephews and extended family in Spain and Italy. He was a loving husband and father and recently celebrated 61 years of marriage to his love, Julieta.  We will all miss him greatly. Denny loved living on Staten Island and will always be remembered for helping his friends and neighbors whenever he could.  

You could describe him as simply mad about life.