Obituary of Carmine Anthony Fiore

Carmine Anthony Fiore, 88, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Monday, December 4, 2023, in Roslyn, NY. Born in the Bronx, he was the son of the late Salvatore and Beatrice Martone Fiore and built a wonderful life for himself and his family that epitomized the American dream.

Growing up in the Fordham section of the Bronx, Carmine was a tough kid who faced hardships with confidence. For years, he slept on a pull-out couch in his family’s small apartment, only getting his first real bed at age 20 when he joined the U.S. Army Reserves.

After one year of high school, he dropped out to get a job and help support his family. It was that first job, as a map clerk for an insurance company, that introduced him to a career that would last more than 60 years.

Carmine taught himself the insurance business and his tireless work ethic and endless charisma allowed him to befriend anyone, at any time. As a businessman, he was a natural. In 1988, he founded his own firm, later known as Transportation Coverage Specialists. At its height, the company was headquartered in an office on the tip of Manhattan, with sweeping views of the New York Harbor, and it employed more than 30 people, including his four children. Carmine felt a duty to take care of his employees and considered them family.

Providing for those he loved was paramount to him, and Carmine and his wife of 50 years, Christina, lovingly nurtured their children in Sands Point, N.Y.

When he wasn’t working, Carmine loved taking care of his yard, playing and watching sports, and reading history and baseball books. Attentive to detail, he relished pointing out errors in baseball encyclopedias.

As a boy, he dreamed of playing big-league baseball and might have done it if his finances hadn’t been so tight. He always smiled when remembering the New York Giants games he attended at the Polo Grounds with his father. Later in life, when he worked in North Carolina, he and Christina would take whirlwind trips to Manhattan just to see the New York Rangers play.

Carmine’s storytelling kept listeners wide-eyed and mesmerized for hours. He recounted living in the Bronx just a few doors down from a kid named Dion, who became lead singer of the famous group, Dion and the Belmonts. He talked about coming home from school with a bloodied face because he just couldn’t help but settle the score with kids who had ticked him off. His left hook was phenomenal, he would say, laughing.

Carmine, a philanthropist and patriot, loved his family and always made time for his children and grandchildren, often cheering them on at their sporting events or dance classes, and taking them to his favorite Port Washington restaurant, DiMaggio’s. He also taught them how to play craps and blackjack, insisting that, hey, it’s just a math class. He wanted to take care of everybody, at all times. He was an absolute original.

Besides his parents, Carmine was predeceased by his sister, Josephine (Jerry) Mazzella of Massapequa, N.Y., and his brother Danny Fiore, of Deltona, Fla.

He is survived by his adoring wife, Christina, and his beloved children, Robert Fiore of Manhattan; Christine DelVecchio and husband Frank of Holbrook, N.Y.; Dianna Radoslovich and husband Steve of Port Washington, N.Y.; and Paul Fiore and wife Jennifer of East Quogue, N.Y.

He also has seven grandchildren: Chloe and Chase DelVecchio; Steven, Matthew and Michael Radoslovich; and Lucas and Carolina Fiore.

Relatives and friends are invited to a viewing at Fairchild Funeral Chapel, 1570 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, N.Y., on Friday, December 8 from 3-5 pm and 7-9 pm.

A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 9 at 9:30 am at St. Peter Alcantara Church, 1327 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington, N.Y.

Committal words and interment will follow at Pinelawn Memorial Park, Pinelawn Road, Pinelawn, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation, for which Carmine served as a board member for 45 years.