Obituary of Lorenzo J. Marcantuono

Lorenzo J. Marcantuono, Jr., 74, of North Caldwell, NJ, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 19, 2017. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 11:00 am in Notre Dame R.C. Church, 359 Central Ave., North Caldwell, NJ 07006. Arrangements in care of the Codey & Jones Funeral Home of Caldwell. To share a condolence or memory, please visit www.codeyjonesfh.com. Born in Newark, NJ to Lorenzo and Antoinette (DeSarno), Lorenzo was the first born and soon after followed Anthony and Christopher. Twelve years later, Joseph arrived and all four boys were raised in Newark. By the age of 16, Lorenzo was put under contract with MGM and went to South America to star in the movie Caracas At Night and thus began his life-long singing and acting career. As a young man he played leading roles in the Tri State Area which included Camelot, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Mikado, Brigadoon, Carousel, Gigi and many others. In the contemporary area he was the lead singer in several rock bands and developed his own style, often performing Tom Jones ballads, Elvis Presley classics and Beetle favorites. He also worked as a Chemist at Hoffman La Roche for ten years, while proudly serving in the Army National Guard. In Fort Dix, he studied Martial arts and became highly accomplished. Lorenzo, while working at Hoffman La Roche began to pursue a degree and after many years of night school graduated Cum Laude from Montclair State University with a bachelors in communication. In 1975, Lorenzo auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera and was hired for the Chorus. A gifted tenor Lorenzo sang in the chorus for ten years and often performed with Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Cararras. Locally, he had the leading tenor roles in several operas such as Madam Butterfly, La traviata, Tosca, La Boheme, and Aida. He also was in movies such as The Godfather, Carlitos Way, and Good Fellas. A true Renaissance man he was able to play Chopin, Rachmanioff, and Beethoven on the piano and often learned the pieces by ear. He was a wonderful artist and painted many murals including the mural in the Choir room at the First Presbyterian Church. A member of the West Essex Artist Association, he entered juried art shows and often sold commissioned works. Later in life he became a member of the Chancel Choir at the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell. He worked for many years as a hair stylist at Plaza Haircutters in Montclair, NJ. Surviving are his beloved wife, Gloria (DeFilippo), devoted daughters, Maria and Regina, loving brothers, Anthony, Christopher and Dr. Joseph Marcantuono, also many nieces, nephews and many friends.