Mary Cardaci, born and raised in the Village and owner with her late husband of Café Borgia, at Bleecker and MacDougal Sts., for 40 years, died May 18 at her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., at the age of 82.
She had been subject to a series of urinary infections over the past few years and died of an infection that failed to respond to antibiotics, said her son Philip, owner of Café Borgia II on Prince St.
Mary Cardaci was born on Spring St., the daughter of Stephano and Anna Latalardo, immigrants from Salerno, Italy. Her father owned Napoli, a restaurant that over the years occupied a few locations on Spring St.
She and her husband, Philip Cardaci, met as teenagers in Soho, known then as the South Village. They were married at St. Anthony of Padua Church in 1947 after Philip returned from Army service in Europe during World War II. The couple worked at Napoli before opening Café Borgia at 185 Bleecker St. in 1958. Their son Philip opened Café Borgia II on Prince St. near Mercer St. in 1975. Philip Sr. died in 1980. Another son Steven died in 1985.
Mary Cardaci was an active presence at Borgia I on Bleecker St. until 1995, her son said. The family lost the lease on the Bleecker St. location and closed the restaurant on Dec. 31, 2000.
Perazzo Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker St., was in charge of arrangements. The funeral was at St. Anthony of Padua Church on May 31 and interment was in the family mausoleum in Hawthorne, N.Y.
