George M. Cacioppo

George Cacioppo always had something to say—and said it to everyone he met. ""He made people laugh,"" says daughter Leora Mayer. ""He sat downstairs at [retirement communities Windsor Gardens] and was always talking to someone about something."" He was a compassionate, yet opinionated man, his family recalls. He died Feb. 11, 2011, at age 93. His care and thought for people—even those he didn't know—was prevalent throughout his life. When he owned a taxi cab in New York City, he would often give people free rides, buy homeless people hot dogs, and even once gave someone his coat when it was cold outside, Leora Mayer says. But he could also be stern and ""threw plenty of people out of his cab,"" his wife, Gloria, laughs. He shared stories of famous people he met in his cab, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Anthony Quayle and Big Bird from Sesame Street, granddaughter Kathryn Mayer says. One of his favorite stories was when he picked up actor Peter Falk. At the end of the drive, Falk asked Cacioppo how much he owed for the ride. Cacioppo said, ""The ride is on me. I've always been a big fan of your work, Mr. Falk. It was an honor to drive you."" Falk responded by being genuinely touched and asked, ""You mean that?"" and then insisted on giving signed photos of himself to each of Cacioppo's children with the inscription, ""Your father is a great guy."" George was born Matteo Cacioppo on Oct. 13, 1917, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His parents, Pietro and Leonarda Cacioppo, had immigrated to New York from Sicily, Italy, and spoke only Italian to him and his 12 siblings. After his brother George died during World War I, his parents started calling him George and he eventually legally changed his name. George was a demolition expert during World War II. After excelling in demolition school, he was stationed in the States so he could instruct other military how to make and disarm bombs. He was honorably discharged in 1946. He met Gloria Smedley at Grand View Dairy in 1947; she did secretarial work and he delivered milk and then became a foreman. He courted her with jokes and they married in 1948. The couple had three children, George, Leora and Robert. Gloria was his best friend and took care of him until the day he died. After working in the dairy industry for some 30 years, George bought his cab and took pride in maintaining what he claimed was the ""cleanest taxi cab in New York City."" In 1994, George and Gloria left their apartment in Queens, N.Y., and moved to Denver with their daughter, Leora, and her family. George always said his heart remained in New York and that it was ""the greatest city on Earth."" He loved to cook and often spent Sundays making his famous Italian ""sauce"" and eggplant cutlets for his family. He was an avid lottery player and loved visiting the casinos in Blackhawk. He always told his family he would split the prize with them if he hit a jackpot, but he often hid his winnings. ""Once he won a lot of money [at the casino] and came home with money in his shoe because he figured someone might rob the bus he was on,"" Gloria says. He used to sneak money to his grandchildren and later to his great-grandchildren and told them ""don't tell Grandma."" Donations in his name can be made to St. Jude's Children Hospital, George's favorite hospital. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Gloria; his three children; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Please share your memories of George and condolences with his family by selecting the ""Sign Guestbook"" link.