Dyker Heights
Three cheers and a shout-out to Mary Crisalli Sansone. This amazing borough daughter celebrated her 100th birthday with friends, family, and, yes, a mayor, too, on June 14 at the Dyker Beach Golf Club.
Well wishers included former mayor Mike Bloomberg, who presented Mary with a commemorative T-shirt, jokingly announcing the pair’s intention to run on the “meatball” platform.
Born on June 12, 1916 in Brooklyn, Mary was destined for service, community, and activism, daughter Carmela Sansone told Standing O.
“As a teen, my mom worked with her dad, Rocco, to help exploited workers to unionize to protect their rights,” she said. “After World War II, she helped to raise funds for orphaned children in Italy, and was even honored by President Harry S. Truman for her humanitarian efforts and given an official White House pen.”
In 1949, Mary met and married like-minded Zachary Sansone, and along with raising their two children, Carmela and Ralph, they built a dynasty of charitable organizations and programs. The pair developed the Congress of Italian-American Organization, CIAO, which spawned three senior centers, two day care centers, and 18 social service offices.
When they tragically lost their son Ralph, the couple created the Ralph J. Sansone Foundation, which provides deserving high-school students with annual scholarship funds, and also donates money to the Brooklyn Law School, and St. George Medical School in Grenada.
“My mother’s work extends over 100 years, and I am sure as long as there is privation in her community, she will be planning for ways to assist those in need,” Carmela added.
Standing O wishes Mary many more years of health and happiness, and along with the former mayor likes the idea of a meatball in every pot.
