Angelo Montemarano Sr.

Longtime Montauk resident Angelo P. Montemarano Sr., whose last name was shortened to “Monte” for most of his life, died on October 23 at the Montauk home of his son, Paul Montemarano. The senior vice president of Gurney’s Inn Resort, Spa and Conference Center and a decorated D-Day hero, he was 89.

Born December 15, 1919, in Brooklyn in an apartment above his family’s restaurant, Monte’s Venetian Room, established in 1906 by his parents, Angelo and Filomena Montemarano, he was one of seven “Monte boys,” five of whom worked in the family business.

Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division. He and his division were among the first wave of troops to hit Omaha Beach on D-Day. Upon his return to civilian life, his father handed him an apron and told him “you are the night bartender.” He held that post and the job of night manager at the restaurant for 22 years. There he developed a devout and loyal following that included politicians, entertainers, gangsters and people from the surrounding neighborhood. Many of those same people came to visit him in Montauk.

Mr. Monte defined hospitality as a family tradition, passed on from one generation to another in order to establish and reinforce a strong sense of identity. According to survivors, he and his late wife Gladys Monte were the ultimate hosts, welcoming countless friends, acquaintances and even strangers into their home for family dinners and informal gatherings. In addition, they always instilled in all five of their children the idea that hospitality is a way of life, not just something reserved for special guests or special occasions.

“In order to understand the enormity and the success of his juggling act, one could’ve simply watched him on any given morning while he graciously welcomed our guests and hugged one of his kids or grandchildren at the same time,” said Ingrid Lemme, the public relations director at Gurney’s.

Mr. Monte was known never to lecture or talk down to others. His employees thought of him as a leader and a superb manager who never took on the trappings of rank, nor thought of himself as better or smarter than anyone else. They said he found common ground with senators and soldiers, scientists and ordinary folks, and was a “people person” to the very core of his being.

He is survived by two sons, Paul Montemarano and Angelo Peter Montemarano Jr., both of Montauk; three daughters, Phyllis Ann Lomitola of Montauk and Ann Marie Pallen of Garden City, and Theresa Biscardi of Bellmore; and 14 grandchildren. Predeceased by all his siblings, he was the last of the “Monte brothers.”

Visitation was held on October 25 at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton. A funeral mass is scheduled for Thursday, October 30, at 10 a.m. at St. Therese of Lisieux Church in Montauk. Interment will follow at 1 p.m. at Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Montauk Ambulance Squad, 12 Flamingo Avenue, Montauk, NY 11954 or the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675, would be appreciated by the family.