Mario J. Gaggini

Decorated World War II Veteran
 

Mario J. Gaggini, 86, of Upper Deerfield Township passed away Wednesday morning June 20, 2007 at The Cumberland Manor in Hopewell Township with his wife and family at his side.

He was the husband of Rose M. (nee Salvatore) Gaggini and was born in Calamica, Italy. The son of the late Nello Gaggini and Theresa Gaggini Fiorani, he moved to the United States with his parents when he was six months old. The family lived in western Pennsylvania until moving to Bridgeton. Mr. Gaggini lived at his current address with his daughter and her family for the last ten years and before that lived on Old Deerfield Pike.

A mold maker and repairman by trade, he worked for several years at the Owens-Illinois Glass Company in Bridgeton until retiring on a medical disability in 1981. He was a longtime member of the Flint Workers Union.

Mr. Gaggini was a US Army Veteran of World War II and saw active duty in the India – Burma Campaign. He was wounded in combat on the Burma Road and received a Purple Heart. He was a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a member of Shoemaker Post #95 American Legion and the Catholic War Veterans Post #1758. In 2003 he and a number of other veterans received the Cumberland County Distinguished Service Medal.

He was a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception and was a bingo volunteer and active for many years with the church’s chicken bar-b-que.

In addition to his wife of sixty-two years, he is survived by one daughter, Denise Gaggini Christie and her husband Richard of Upper Deerfield Twp., one son, Dennis Gaggini and his wife Linda of Hopewell Twp., four grandchildren, Shelley (Gaggini) Blackburn, Dennis Gaggini Jr. and Elizabeth and Ryan Christie, one great grandson, Christopher Blackburn Jr., two sisters, Louise Busnardo of Ben Vomant, CA and Angelina Perry of Hopewell Twp. and two brothers, Harry Fiorani and Alex Fiorani, both of Hopewell Twp. Additional survivors include sisters-in-law, Mary Gaggini and Catherine Fiorani, brother-in-law, William Rost, two cousins, Fred Gaggini and Elda Venanzi and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Delmeda Rost and brothers, Nello Gaggini Sr., David Fiorani, Zeffere Fiorani and John Fiorani.

The funeral will originate at the Freitag Funeral Home, 137 W. Commerce St., Bridgeton on Monday morning June 25th at 9:30 and will be followed by a 10 o’clock Funeral Liturgy at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 312 N. Pearl St., Bridgeton.

The burial will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Bridgeton.

Friends will be received at the funeral home Sunday evening from 6 until 8 and on Monday morning from 8:30 until 9:30.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Heart Association, 2550 Rt. 1, New Brunswick, NJ 08902 or to the American Lung Association, 200 Rt. 22, Union, NJ 07083.

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