Obituary of Peter C. Manni

Peter C. Manni, Jr. 1926-2021 On the morning of Monday, January 4, 2021, Peter C. Manni, Jr. passed away at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, NJ. Peter was born on July 5, 1926 in Ardmore, PA to Peter and Margarita (Marzili) Manni. On May 8, 1948, he married Rose Agnes (Pomante) Manni. of Philadelphia, PA. He was Father to Bruce and Damon. The story goes that when Peter was 14 he worked at a local distributor where he commandeered their large delivery truck with a full load of soda & beer and made the rounds. He got the job done, despite his feet barely reaching the pedals. He was fearless for sure and his love for large, heavy equipment began. He enlisted in the US Army and was elevated to sergeant. He landed in Italy after the Anzio invasion by the Allies and contributed by escorting German prisoners and as a Translator to help establish relations between the soldiers and the local Italian villages. Post war, he immediately re-enlisted to continue to help rebuild from the devastation of war overseas. He then worked for DelMont construction company running a front-end Loader. He prided himself on digging perfectly aligned ditches to lay pipes but also to make the work easier for the men who did the manual labor. He also stirred trouble with management by initiating better wages & work conditions for the crew. He was always empathetic towards his fellow man or as he would say “the underdog”. Later in life he became a Carpenter. He took to it naturally and helped build & remodel homes. Then, a father & son team was born and this is where Bruce learned to hone his trade skills. Later, Damon would also join in gaining woodwork knowledge. As our family name also means “hand” in Italian, working with wood is in our blood. Pete’s legacy carries onward through his children. Peter loved all things Italian. His Singing of Mario Lanza and Caruso songs around the house with the windows open was our norm. He visited the old country several times to seek out Roman construction methods. He anchored his heritage by adding his grandfather’s name “Cerfino” to his middle initial. He had several monikers pinned to him: ‘Boze’, ‘the Bear’, ‘ Ponce de Leon’, ‘Clarke Gable of Ardmore’. He was known for his handsome and dashing looks, and never seeming to age at all. A story is behind each one for sure. Peter was 94 years old. The Manni family will postpone the funeral until the Spring/Summer of 2021. This will allow for family & friends to participate safely post Covid. A notice will be sent out during that time frame. The military funeral honors and inurnment will take place at Cumberland County Veterans' Cemetery, Trench Rd, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.