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Longtime Bronx
Republican activist
and actor passes, 53
BY JASON COHEN
Some knew him as Tony’s driver and
for those who did not watch ‘The Sopranos,’
Anthony Ribustello was a man who
impacted the Bronx Republican Party for
many years.
Ribustello, of Country Club, passed away
Saturday, December 28 at the age of 53.
Besides portraying Dante Greco on the
renowned HBO series, he ran for borough
president in 2009, served on Community
Board 10, was a Republican Party district
leader, county committeeman and former
deputy chief of the Bronx Board of Elections.
Ribustello died while waiting for a kidney
transplant. He is survived by his wife
Rena and a son.
Steve DeMartis, who was friends with
Ribustello since they were 15, spoke about
his departed friend. While they grew up in
different neighborhoods, Ribustello in Pelham
Bay and DeMartis of Morris Park, they
met in high school at Cardinal Spellman.
From a young age, he knew his friend
would achieve big things.
“He always had an infatuation for the
stage and acting,” he said.
He recalled how one of Ribustello’s fi rst
gigs was doing a commercial for the Ginsu
knife.
According to DeMartis, at Iona College,
Ribustello joined clubs and did theater and
eventually went on to star in ‘Law and Order’
four times and appeared in about six
movies.
“I was delighted for him because he was
able to achieve that goal,” he remarked. “He
just touched so many people. He had the biggest
heart you could imagine.”
The lifelong friends hung out often at
Scaglione Brothers Bakery and Deli in Morris
Park. DeMartis stressed how he will always
be grateful to his friend for helping
him get a job with the Board of Elections in
2012.
Since his passing, social media has been
fl ooded with praise for him.
“I’m very sorry to learn of the passing of
Anthony Ribustello,” said Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr. on Twitter. “Anthony
was not only an actor and activist, but a
great character with a warm heart. The
Bronx will miss him. Rest In Peace, Anthony.”
Mike Rendino, the chairman of the
Bronx GOP, knew Ribustello for about 20
years. They grew up in nearby neighborhoods
and 11 years ago got involved in the
political world together.
Rendino recalled that Ribustello used to
come to Sebastian’s bar, where Bridges is
today, at Miles and East Tremont avenues,
Anthony Ribustello, who passed away recently,
was known for his role as Dante Greco on the TV
show The Sopranos. He was also a district leader,
county committeman and former Deputy Chief
of the Bronx Board of Elections
Photo Courtesy Board of Elections Annual Report
where he was a bartender.
“He was a very happy fun loving guy,”
he said. “He made a difference with anyone
who met him.”
Elizabeth English, the Republican female
district leader of the 82nd District,
knew Ribustello for 13 years. He taught her
a lot about politics and she will sorely miss
him.
“I literally spent 365 days for 13 years
with him,” she told the Bronx Times. “He
was a great guy. He was one of a kind. He put
his heart into everything he did. There was
never a dull moment with Anthony.”
Executive director of the Bronx Board
of Elections Mike Ryan fi rst met Ribustello
in 2010 when he was commissioner. They
worked together for a decade and Ryan recalled
how Anthony always put other people
fi rst.
He described him as “professional, caring
and humble, with a larger than life presence.”
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