Attilio Alfred di Scipio, 83
Thursday, 27 January 2011 16:11
Attilio Alfred di Scipio, Jr., father of New Canaan resident Diane Driscoll, died Thursday, January 6, at University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla. He was 83.
Mr. di Scipio was born in Chelsea, Mass., on February 23, 1927, to the late Attilio and Adeline Pote di Scipio.
Mr. di Scipio attended Chelsea High and earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University, where he played varsity baseball and was a recipient of the Alumni Award. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu (Founder of the NU Chapter) and Phi Kappa Phi.
Mr. di Scipio earned his master’s in business administration degree from New York University and served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1945 to 1946 as Seaman First Class, receiving the World War II Victory Medal, American Area Medal and a C.O. Commendation.
In 1949, he married the former Corinne J. Capone and together they raised their family in Greenwich.
Mr. di Scipio began his career with Johnson & Johnson (Chicopee Mills) and as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. He went on to become vice president of Worldwide Marketing & Commercial Development for ITT and president and CEO of the Intelex division at ITT.
While at The Singer Company from 1963 to 1970 as group vice president and CEO of the Consumer Products Group, he reached the milestone of 1MM sewing machine units. He sponsored the “Wizard of Oz” TV broadcast as a tribute to Judy Garland and commissioned a Norman Rockwell portrait of Garland as Dorothy, which he presented to the Judy Garland Medical Library at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital.
Mr. di Scipio’s passion for entertainment and marketing led him to produce 15 Network TV Specials (”Singer Presents” and, later, “Magnavox Presents”) including shows starring Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and Don Ho.
From 1970 to 1973 he served as executive vice president of Filmways, Inc.
As president and CEO of Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company, in 1974, he signed Hank Aaron as the company spokesman for tours and television commercials leading up to Aaron’s 715th home run which broke Babe Ruth’s record.
He was the tournament chairman for the Howard Cosell “Day with the All-Americans” Golf Tournament.
Mr. di Scipio moved to Chatham, Mass., in 1977, and later purchased the Stage Harbor Inn, fulfilling a dream of owning and operating a hotel by the sea. He resided in Chatham for 13 years.
Mr. di Scipio was published in the Harvard Business Review numerous times. In 1978 he was awarded an honorary LLD from Northeastern University. He returned to the corporate world in the 1990’s on the Board of Director’s for Applied Devices Corporation and the Cordura Corporation.
In 2005, he moved to New Canaan with his daughter, Diane Driscoll, and her family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren attending their school functions and every sporting event they participated in, his family said.
In July 2010, he moved to Tamarac, Fla., to be near his son, Bob.
He is survived by two sons, Larry di Scipio of Scottsdale, AZ., Bob di Scipio of Tamarac FL and two daughters Christine di Scipio of Stamford, CT and Diane di Scipio Driscoll (Kevin) of New Canaan, CT, seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Gisela, Michael, Thomas, Robert, Derek, and Gordon, and three great-grandchildren Molly, Lilly and Jackson and one dog, Fenway.
A private burial took place in Chatham, Mass., on January 22. A public memorial Mass was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 29, at St. Michael’s the Archangel Church, 469 North Street, Greenwich, CT.
Thursday, 27 January 2011 16:11
Attilio Alfred di Scipio, Jr., father of New Canaan resident Diane Driscoll, died Thursday, January 6, at University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla. He was 83.
Mr. di Scipio was born in Chelsea, Mass., on February 23, 1927, to the late Attilio and Adeline Pote di Scipio.
Mr. di Scipio attended Chelsea High and earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University, where he played varsity baseball and was a recipient of the Alumni Award. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu (Founder of the NU Chapter) and Phi Kappa Phi.
Mr. di Scipio earned his master’s in business administration degree from New York University and served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1945 to 1946 as Seaman First Class, receiving the World War II Victory Medal, American Area Medal and a C.O. Commendation.
In 1949, he married the former Corinne J. Capone and together they raised their family in Greenwich.
Mr. di Scipio began his career with Johnson & Johnson (Chicopee Mills) and as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. He went on to become vice president of Worldwide Marketing & Commercial Development for ITT and president and CEO of the Intelex division at ITT.
While at The Singer Company from 1963 to 1970 as group vice president and CEO of the Consumer Products Group, he reached the milestone of 1MM sewing machine units. He sponsored the “Wizard of Oz” TV broadcast as a tribute to Judy Garland and commissioned a Norman Rockwell portrait of Garland as Dorothy, which he presented to the Judy Garland Medical Library at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital.
Mr. di Scipio’s passion for entertainment and marketing led him to produce 15 Network TV Specials (”Singer Presents” and, later, “Magnavox Presents”) including shows starring Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and Don Ho.
From 1970 to 1973 he served as executive vice president of Filmways, Inc.
As president and CEO of Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company, in 1974, he signed Hank Aaron as the company spokesman for tours and television commercials leading up to Aaron’s 715th home run which broke Babe Ruth’s record.
He was the tournament chairman for the Howard Cosell “Day with the All-Americans” Golf Tournament.
Mr. di Scipio moved to Chatham, Mass., in 1977, and later purchased the Stage Harbor Inn, fulfilling a dream of owning and operating a hotel by the sea. He resided in Chatham for 13 years.
Mr. di Scipio was published in the Harvard Business Review numerous times. In 1978 he was awarded an honorary LLD from Northeastern University. He returned to the corporate world in the 1990’s on the Board of Director’s for Applied Devices Corporation and the Cordura Corporation.
In 2005, he moved to New Canaan with his daughter, Diane Driscoll, and her family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren attending their school functions and every sporting event they participated in, his family said.
In July 2010, he moved to Tamarac, Fla., to be near his son, Bob.
He is survived by two sons, Larry di Scipio of Scottsdale, AZ., Bob di Scipio of Tamarac FL and two daughters Christine di Scipio of Stamford, CT and Diane di Scipio Driscoll (Kevin) of New Canaan, CT, seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Gisela, Michael, Thomas, Robert, Derek, and Gordon, and three great-grandchildren Molly, Lilly and Jackson and one dog, Fenway.
A private burial took place in Chatham, Mass., on January 22. A public memorial Mass was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 29, at St. Michael’s the Archangel Church, 469 North Street, Greenwich, CT.
