Phyllis Mary Italiano (May 26, 1936 – October 28, 2024) was an American politician and teacher.

Early life and education

Phyllis Mary Italiano was born on May 26, 1936, at the Zerega Avenue section in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, as the youngest of three daughters of Michael (1905–2001) and Mildred Italiano (1907–2010). Her sisters were Joanne Perna (1928–2025) and

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...

(1931–2005), an

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

winning actress for ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography '' The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...

'' (1962). Italiano graduated from Christopher Columbus High School where she served as president of her class and went to

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

where she became the first member of her extended Italian family to go to college. She then earned her

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

from

Manhattanville University Manhattanville University is a private university in Purchase, New York, United States. Founded in 1841 as a school at 412 Houston Street in Lower Manhattan, it was initially known as the "Academy of the Sacred Heart". In 1917, the academy recei ...

majoring in elementary education and science education.

Career

Italiano started her career as a teacher at Rippowam Cisqua School in Bedford–Stuyvesant,

. She then worked at Yonkers Public School District and earned a certification in education leadership. Italiano also became an assistant principal at the Hostos MicroSociety School in

Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and retired in 2004 to take care of her sister

, who became ill due to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. She later became active in the Democratic Party and worked as a district leader, door knocker, and poll watcher. Italiano created ''The Democratic View'', a public access show on LTV, hosting over 300 episodes over a period of more than ten years.

Personal life

Marriages, relationships, and children

Italiano met her first husband, John William Wetzel, while studying at the

. They married and has had a son, Michael Wetzel, and three daughters, Joanne, Ruth, and Paula Wetzel. Their marriage ended in divorce and she raised her four children as a single mother. Italiano later remarried after her youngest children graduated from high school, but again ended in divorce. She then married a third time.

Death

Italiano died at her residence in

East Hampton, New York East Hampton is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York United States. It is located at the eastern end of the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town i ...

, on 28 October 2024 due to

at the age of 88, and was cremated.

References

1936 births 2024 deaths {{improve categories, date=May 2025