Obituary of Manlio DiPreta

Manlio Christopher DiPreta, 58, of Manhasset, NY, passed away on March 11, 2015, surrounded by his family and loved ones. Manlio was born on January 15, 1958, in Elmhurst, a working class neighborhood in Queens, NY, to Donato and Gelsomina DiPreta. His parents had emigrated from Italy, and raised a big Roman Catholic family, his father working as a machinist and his mother a homemaker and seamstress. The fourth of seven children, Manlio attended Ascension for grade school, then was admitted into Brooklyn Technical High School. He graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York, and would go on to gain his Juris Doctor degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University. With the degree, Manlio specialized in labor law, fighting for unions and the working man his entire career. He met the love his life, Laurie Lombardo, in 1989. They married and had five beautiful children together: Nicholas, Christopher, Steven, Paul, and Isabella. Manlio was a caring husband and father, supportive of all of his children's endeavors, holding a high bar and proud of their accomplishments. He taught them all the value of family, and the importance of living life with character and a sense of humor. Manlio is survived by his wife and children, his mother, his siblings and in-laws--John and Donna, Adriana, Maria and Bob, Flora and Lew, Mauro, and Angelo and George--as well as many nieces and nephews. Special heartfelt thanks to Dr. Eileen O'Reilly and the staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering for helping Manlio battle cancer and giving him more precious time with his family. The seven years were invaluable and deeply appreciated. Also, sincere gratitude to the staff at St. Francis Hospital for making his final days comfortable. The wake will be at Fairchild Sons, Inc., in Manhasset on Tuesday, March 15, at 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation. (https://www.lustgarten.org/).