"Uncle" Vito F. Maranzano Glendale Playground
2022

Vito Frank Maranzano (1923 - 2006), also known as “Uncle Vito, was a longtime Glendale resident and neighborhood activist.

Born in Italy, Maranzano immigrated with his family to Bushwick, Brooklyn. He served in the Navy during World War II and moved to Glendale afterward.

He was a member of multiple organizations in the neighborhood, including as president of Glendale Property Owners Association, Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation, and the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation. He was also active in the Kiwanis Group of Glendale, the Glendale/104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (GCOP), UNICO International and had served as chairman of the Community Board 5 Public Safety Services Committee.

Sources:

"'Uncle' Vito F. Maranzano Glendale Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, accessed March 13, 2023, https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/uncle-vito-f-maranzano-glendale-playground/history

“In Memoriam Vito Maranzano,” QNS, March 2, 2006, https://qns.com/2006/03/in-memoriam-vito-maranzano/