Lino Rubizzi, a lifelong Village resident who owned a grocery store in the neighborhood for many years, died April 4 in St. Vincent’s Hospital at the age of 76.
He recovered from cancer of the larynx seven years ago but in the past year he suffered from renal failure. He died of a recurring heart condition, said his daughter, Dilyse Rubizzi.
An animal lover and an inveterate walker in the Village, he kept in touch with his old Village friends until the end.
Born on Downing St. to Adalcisa and Joseph Rubizzi, immigrants from Parma, Italy, he went to elementary school at P.S. 3 in the Village and began working at R & R Superette, on the corner of Bleecker and W. 10th St., at age 16, according to his twin brother, Adolph.
“He was a great catcher on the Planets, a neighborhood baseball team in the 1940s,” Adolph recalled. He remained a fan of the game all his life.
“He said he was waiting for the Mets to win another pennant — maybe this will be their year,” his daughter said.
Drafted into the Army in 1953, he served at Fort Benning, Ga., until his discharge in 1957, when he returned and became a partner in the superette.
“He helped a lot of aspiring actors and artists with grocery store credit,” recalled Adolph. Married in 1960, Lino was divorced in 1966, and raised two daughters, Dilyse and Danica, with the help of his mother, who lived in the same building on Christopher St.
Business reverses forced him to close the superette in 1971, when he went to work for Avis Produce as a truck driver, his daughter said. He later became a bookkeeper for Pinkerton, the security agency, and then worked as a doorman at the Belmont, a residence in East Midtown, until retiring in 1999.
He is survived by his brother, Adolph, of Florida, and his two daughters, Dilyse, of the Village, and Danica, of Phoenix, Az., and a grandson.
A viewing was held Mon., April 9, at Perazzo Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker St., and the funeral was Wed., April 11, at Our Lady of Pompei. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Queens.
