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On May 12, 2020, at approximately 3:30 am, Adriane Nocco passed away peacefully in Brooklyn, NY, at home, in her sleep. She was 83 years old.
Adriane was born in Brooklyn, NY on August 29, 1936. Her parents were Frank and Emelia (Mildred/“Nanny Millie”) Randazzo, and her stepfather (who married into the family after her father passed away) was Joseph Corso. Her siblings, who predeceased her, were Angela Bucchieri and Frank Randazzo. They looked up to their older sister Adriane as a second mother, so much so that when Adriane got married, they both were visibly upset. Her brother Frank was so distraught that he had to be carried out of the church.
On August 16, 1958, Adriane married Anthony “Tony” Nocco. They had two sons, Frank Nocco and Joseph “Joe” Nocco, and would have celebrated their sixty-second wedding anniversary this upcoming August. Although she herself was not college-educated, Adriane valued education highly, and was adamant that her children prioritize their studies. Her influence led her younger son, Joe, to become a US Court Deputy who represented famous judges such as Sonia Sotomayor. It also led her eldest son, Frank, to become a Columbia-educated lawyer; he went on to establish the Adriane Nocco Scholarship Fund at Columbia University in her honor.
Adriane and Tony embarked on many adventures together both as a couple and with their family over the years, whether it was to Atlantic City or Cove Haven on vacation, or to Villabate Bakery to buy Italian pastries for the holidays. They had the sort of bond that songs are written about; speaking of which, the only man that could ever compete with Tony for Adriane’s affections was Engelbert Humperdinck. In fact, Tony actually wrote his own song about Adriane entitled “You Are My Special Angel Sent From Heaven Above.” Tony says of Adriane, “she made me a better man.”
Adriane and Tony were always the life of the party, especially when they were together. They dominated every dance floor as a dynamic duo, especially when “In The Mood” by Glen Miller or “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger came on. Truth be told, Adriane was a natural, and could make any partner that had the privilege to dance with her look fantastic.
Adriane was truly passionate about song as well as dance, and some of Nanny’s favorite movies included movie musicals such as “Meet Me In St. Louis” and “Grease.” Her love of music and performance influenced her children and grandchildren, and her steadfast encouragement urged them to pursue their artistic passions; her younger son, Joe, is a professional musician, her granddaughter Adriana is a professional actress/singer, her granddaughter Alessandra is a skilled singer, and all three of her grandsons, Joe Jr., Paul, and Anthony, are talented instrumentalists.
Nanny was also an avid baseball fan. She started out as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and later changed her allegiance to the New York Mets once the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. In fact, she managed to convert Tony, who came from a long line of Yankee fans, to the Mets as well. She and Tony rarely if ever missed a Mets game. This love of the sport was passed on to both of their sons and grandchildren (who pursued athletics at various points in their lives and organized wiffleball games that have taken place at various family barbecues). Nanny and Papa also introduced their grandchildren to Brooklyn Cyclones games at MCU Park, and yearly trips to Coney Island became a family tradition. Their grandson, Joe Jr., actually went on to become a sports journalist.
Nanny had a profound effect on and influence over everyone around her; she made people want to reach for the stars. She was like a bright beacon of light, always there to warm and guide us. Nanny had an uncanny, almost indescribable ability to draw out greatness from people. She believed with all of her heart that her children and grandchildren were special and capable of greatness down to their core, even when they didn’t believe it themselves. Nanny had this wonderful way of summoning the greatness within us that we sometimes didn’t even realize existed. But she knew. She always knew.
Everyone who was touched by Adriane would agree on one thing: she had one of the biggest, purest, most compassionate hearts ever to exist. As Tony has often said about her, “she never had a mean word to say about anybody.” She cared deeply for others, and even internalized their pain as her own; her sensitivity was boundless. Also, Nanny was a GENUINELY good person. In a world full of superficiality, she epitomized being true and honest; she said what she meant and meant what she said. In the world we live in, that is truly rare.
If you were lucky enough to be a family member or close friend of Adriane’s, you had one of the kindest, most loving, most inspiring, most loyal people in your corner. Nanny and Papa never missed a school play, a softball game, or a birthday party, and every year on your birthday, you could expect to hear them singing you the birthday song over the phone. Nanny made huge sacrifices for those she loved, and constantly prioritized them over herself. She was always putting others first; she would even give all her properties away to her grandchildren during competitive family games of Monopoly. After a conversation with Nanny, you would feel like a million bucks; she offered up the sweetest words of comfort, support, and wisdom, and would fiercely defend you against any and all adversaries (she would even sternly reprimand Tony if he ever deigned to tease any of her grandchildren). Nanny could be as sweet as honey in one moment, but if anyone ever said anything remotely negative about her children or grandchildren, even in jest, she would sour and morph into protective mode in half a second.
Adriane is survived by her two sons, Frank and Joe, as well as her grandchildren, Joe Jr., Adriana, Paul, Alessandra, and Anthony Nocco. She is also sorely missed by her daughters-in-law, Gina and Patti, and her step-grandchildren, Jessica, Rachel, and Sara. They remember Nanny as one of the best people ever to walk the Earth, a guidepost that offered them true, unconditional love and support.
At every family or holiday dinner, Nanny would raise a glass and exclaim, “Alla famiglia,” echoing these famous words from another of her favorite movies, “Moonstruck.” If you are a person that was loved by Adriane Nocco, you can bet that she would treat you like family, and to Adriane, family was first and foremost.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either the American Heart Association or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.