DeMartino Named Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Grand Marshal

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Parade Committee announced Tuesday that Mario DeMartino will be the Grand Marshal for July 4th Parade.

DeMartino was chosen because of his high level of volunteerism.

DeMartino is the chairman of the Pittsfield Ethnic Fair and organizes the bucket brigade for the Fourth of July Parade. He is a member of: Order Sons of Italy Lodge 564; Italian American Club of Pittsfield; UNICO of Pittsfield; CIAO of the Berkshires; Faccioli Club of Pittsfield;  and the Wahconah Country Club.

He started his career in the Berkshires in 1964 after graduating from Ithaca College the year before. He was the director of physical therapy at Berkshire Rehabilitation Center and later director of physical and occupational therapy. He then was the director of physical therapy at Berkshire Physical Therapy before opening his own DeMartino Physical Therapy, which he ran until his retirement.

During those years, DeMartino was a consultant for various nursing homes. He was chairman of the Western Massachusetts Health Planning Council of the Berkshires from 1976-1980 and also chairman of Berkshire County Association of Allied Health Professionals.

DeMartino has served on the City of Pittsfield Commission on Disabilities and was a former board member of Pittsfield General Hospital, Pontoosuc Lake Advisory Committee, and the Pittsfield YMCA. He currently serves on the Board at Berkshire Healthcare and Hospice Care of the Berkshires.

He is married to Sandra DeMartino and is the father or five children and nine grandchildren.

He was awarded the YMCA G. Fred Lincks Award in 2007 and the Berkshire Health Systems Francis X. Doyle Award in 2013.

The Parade Committee also announced that the late Joanne Hayes will be an  honorary grand marshal.

The Parade Committee chose to honor Hayes because of her years of service as a parade organizer. She served as the secretary of the Pittsfield Parade Committee for more than a decade.

Hayes also volunteered much of her time with the Sacred Heart Parish Council and organized their Holiday Gift Bizarre. She was employed by Berkshire Health Systems until October of 2013.

Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.