Community mourns the loss of beloved doctor and dad
BY CAMILLE SPERRAZZA
The Brooklyn community
suffered a huge loss with
the recent passing of Dr.
Anthony Louis DiMango,
a Maxillofacial Oral
Surgeon in Bay Ridge
who also spent a lifetime
training dentists as Chief
of Hospital Dentistry,
Director of Oral and
Maxillo Facial Surgery
at Lutheran Medical
Center, and taught at
Columbia University
Dental School.
He succumbed to
cancer on May 31, 10
days after celebrating his
95th birthday at a party
in his home, attended
by about 55 friends and
family. Dr. DiMango was
predeceased by Mafalda
Coccaro DiMango, his
wife of 68 years, who
passed last August, two
months shy of her 92nd
birthday.
Both husband and
wife were movers and
shakers who devoted
themselves to improving
the community, and these
values were passed along
to their two daughters,
Patricia Mafalda
DiMango and Joanne
DiMango Orr who went
on to careers in law and
education, respectively.
Patricia was the
fi rst Italian-American
woman to be appointed
to the criminal court, an
honor bestowed upon her
in 1995, by then-mayor,
Rudolph Giuliani. She
was later elected a New
York State Supreme
Court Justice, sitting
in the Criminal Term,
who presided over hate
crimes, murders, and
crimes against children.
She eventually became
one of the judges on the
television show, “Hot
Bench.”
Joanne devoted her
career to educating
students.
“My father never
expected less of us
because we were females,”
she said, noting that it
is no coincidence that
they both chose careers
that serve others.“We
followed in our parents’
footsteps.”
It was a given that
the girls would earn
college degrees, as
Mafalda, born in Italy,
had attended Brooklyn
College in the 1940’s, a
time when few women
did. But education in
this family was always
valued as both Mafalda
and Anthony’s families
in Italy were also highly
educated. In addition
to their two daughters,
the couple is survived
by two grandchildren,
John Patrick Orr III
and Lauren Patricia
Orr, both of whom have
M.B.A. Degrees.
Mafalda spent years
as PTA President,
then President of PTA
Presidents, and from
there, devoted decades
to serving on the District
20 School Board. The
corner of 81st Street and
15th Avenue is named,
“Mafalda DiMango
Way,” to commemorate
the work she did for the
community, The May 11
naming ceremony was
attended by politicians,
s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s ,
principals, community
activists, family, and
friends.
Dr. DiMango grew
up in the Flatbush
section of Brooklyn,
and was studying at
Fordham University,
when his education was
interrupted by World
War II. He enlisted in
the army, and served
in the Philippines as a
medic, treating wounded
soldiers. A citation the
family possesses says he
was a member of the 34th
medical class at Walter
COURIER L 34 IFE, JULY 12–18, 2019 M BR B G
Reed General Hospital
in Washington, D.C., in
April 1944.
After the war, he
completed his studies at
Fordham, where many
of the younger students
fondly called him “Pops.”
Perhaps that set the
stage for his lifetime of
dedication to mentoring,
teaching, and training
so many colleagues and
young dentists.
He attended
Georgetown Dental
School in Washington
D.C., and among the many
organizations to which
he belonged includes the
Italian Dental Society,
the Second District
Dental Society, and the
Greater New York Dental
Meeting.
Joanne says her
father was very proud
of his daughters’ career
choices.
“My father was always
bragging that my sister
shared the front page of
the New York Times, July
2013, with Pope Francis.”
Both her parents
were big fans of Judge
Judy Sheindlin so when
she reached out to Judge
DiMango to test a pilot
for a new court show
she planned to produce,
they were very excited.
“He and my mother
always managed to
slip ‘Hot Bench’ into
conversations with
people,” she says. “My
father was given a ‘Hot
Bench’ baseball cap
which he wore proudly
every day.”
As an educator,
Joanne followed a family
tradition, as many
cousins are teachers and
school administrators.
“My parents were
especially proud when I
was elected to the school
board of my New Jersey
town,” she says. “I didn’t
serve as long as my
mother – only six years –
not 40!”
Dr. DiMango had a
zest for life, and liked to
try new things. He golfed,
enjoyed clamming, spent
time in the Hamptons,
and built furniture. He
mastered the art of pizzamaking,
so a cousin who
owns a neon sign business
made him a sign: “Tony
D’s Homemade Pizza.”
He eventually convinced
Patricia to buy an outdoor
pizza oven.
He owned a sailboat,
aptly titled “The Princess
Mafalda,” which he raced
often. There are many
trophies that attest to his
sailing abilities, and that
of his volunteer crew,
often comprised of dental
residents from Lutheran
Medical Center.
Professionally, Dr.
DiMango was highly
respected as a surgeon
and diagnostician,
revered by all who knew
him.
“He had a brilliant
mind, and was able to
work with his hands
to perform intricate
surgeries,” says Joanne.
“He believed you should
do what you love, and
love what you do.”
It was a philosophy he
abided by at home and at
work. “He rarely raised
his voice,” says Joanne.
“But as his residents will
tell you, when he did –
watch out!”
He was recognized
wherever he went.
Joanne recalls sitting at a
restaurant in New Jersey
years ago, a woman at
the next table, saying to
her dad, “I know you. You
took my teeth out!”
Dr. DiMango was
loved by so many that
even a former dental
student, now with a
practice in Austin,
Texas, was compelled to
fl y to New York to attend
the wake.
Dr. Anthony DiMango with his wife Mafalda (above) and with his daughter, Judge Patricia DiMango, making homemade pizza.
Dr. DiMango surrounded by his family, including (from l. to r.) daughters Judge Patricia DiMango and Joanne DiMango-
Orr, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, Robert Frazzetto, granddaughter Lauren Orr and his sister Dolly (Rose) DiMango at his 95th
birthday celebration. Dr. DiMango with Dr. Margaret Mason and Dr. Babak Bina.
Dr. DiMango with (from l. to r.) his sister Dolly (Rose) DiMango,
daughters Joanne DiMango-Orr and Judge Patricia DiMango,
grandson John Patrick Orr III, son in law John Patrick Orr, Jr.
and granddaughter Lauren Patricia Orr.