April 4, 1955–October 5, 2026
Many in Williamsburg knew Joseph Sciorra as a neighbor. He lived on Devoe Street for many years until he and his wife had to relocate after a fire on Thanksgiving night 2021.
On hearing the sad news, friend and neighbor, Lisa Summa, said, “I was devastated to learn of the passing of my friend folklorist Joseph Sciorra. I know Joe from the Calandra Institute, Italian American activities, and of course, from living in Williamsburg. We worked together on a series of events about Italian and Italian American culture recognized by St. Nicks Alliance. (We had hoped to resume them.) Joe’s loss is deeply felt in the academic and Italian American community. His research acknowledged, celebrated, and helped to preserve traditions, some of which often went unnoticed.”
The events mentioned were called the Michele Giannattasio Lecture Series and were held at 211 Ainslie Street. The series began in May 2018 with the last one occurring in February 2020. COVID put a halt on this series, which offered entertaining presentations of Italian culture and history. There were film discussions, music performances, and writer Adriana Trigiani discussed her book Tony’s Wife, which was a new release in 2018.
Many in New York City knew him as an educator and a scholar. Dr. Joseph Sciorra was director for academic and cultural programs at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute of Queens College, City University of New York. “Sciorra received his Ph.D. from the Department of Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. As an ethnographer and cultural historian, he researches and publishes on vernacular culture, including religious practices, cultural landscapes, and popular music, among other topics,” states his webpage on the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute’s website.
“Joe wrote his master’s thesis on the Giglio, characteristically rich in ethnographic detail, insightful, and in touch with the community that has been keeping this tradition vibrant in our great city since 1903,” Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, professor emerita of New York University, posted on Facebook.
Sciorra also lived his interest in Italian-American tradition. Every Christmastime he created elaborate Presepios, aka nativity scenes. Even after the fire moved him and his wife to a hotel he stuck with his tradition and created one in his hotel room for the Christmas of 2021.
He authored many well-received books, on the many aspects of Italian culture. Some of his research was dedicated to Italian-American homespun religious art and architecture displayed in yards. Examples are plaster statues of saints, altars, and shrines. There are many in North Brooklyn, next time you pass one, think of Dr. Sciorra.
He is mourned by his wife, Zulma Ortiz Fuentes and their children, Akela Leilani and Lucca Hakim. He is also mourned by friends, colleagues, neighbors, and those who wished to learn more from him. A memorial gathering was held on October 9 at Sparrow Funeral Home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
