By Albert Amateau
Nilde Balducci, 83; Married
into the famed gourmet clan
Nilde Balducci, a longtime Village resident and the granddaughter-in-law of the founder of Balducci’s, the specialty food market that was a Greenwich Village institution for 57 years, died Nov. 1 in Beth Israel Hospital at age 83.
Since 1964, Nilde lived with her mother on Leroy St. in the Village, said her daughter Emily Balducci Cardone. Nilde’s mother, Emilia, died in 1983.
Born to Giacomo and Emilia Gardella Baruzzo in Genoa, Italy, Nilde came to the U.S. in 1949 and married Dr. Charles Balducci in Douglaston, Queens. The couple lived first in Saranac Lake, N.Y., and later moved to Whitestone, Queens.
Nilde and Dr. Balducci had five children, Mary Brennan, of Philadelphia; Emily Cardone, of Port Washington, N.Y.: Louis Balducci, of Manhattan; Grace Pratt, of Indianapolis; and Adriana Gailiny, of Exeter N.H., all of whom survive.
Nilde and Dr. Balducci, who also survives, were divorced several years ago.
Nilde joined the Balducci family business in the mid-1980’s and worked for several years in its human resources department, Emily said.
Perazzo’s Funeral Home, on Bleecker St., was in charge of arrangements. The funeral was Fri., Nov. 5, at Our Lady of Pompei Church, at Bleecker and Carmine Sts., and burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Flushing, Queens.
