SARATOGA SPRINGS — Joseph “Jo Jo” R. Pietruccia, 93, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 25.
Born January 2, 1921 in Saratoga Springs, he was the son of the late Vito and Marguerite Pietruccia. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his beloved wife of 69 years, Mary Arpey Pietruccia; his two brothers, Louis (Tillie) Pietruccia and Nicholas Pietruccia; along with his nephew, Rev. Neil Draves-Arpaia.
He is survived by his nephew, Victor (Gloria) Pietruccia of Greenfield Center; nieces, Mary Lou (Tom) Farrell and Nadine Draves, both of Saratoga Springs; along with his sister-in-laws, Dorothy Pietruccia of Metairie, Louisiana and Rose Draves of Saratoga Springs. He also has several great-nieces and nephews and also great-great-nieces and nephews.
As a boy, Jo Jo worked for Stroup newspapers in downtown Saratoga Springs, like his brothers and many of the neighborhood kids did. Then he worked for American Locomotive Company for a time, but eventually he worked for D.A. Collins Companies as a foreman for most of his career. During his tenure at D.A. Collins, he helped supervise many road and bridge construction projects, most notably the Twin Bridges. Coincidentally, Jo Jo was the last surviving worker of the construction group that built the Twin Bridges.
Jo Jo and his wife, Mary, spent many of their winters in Florida. While there they made some great friends and kept active with many activities such as walking and playing cards. When they were in Saratoga, you could always find Jo Jo walking up to the racetrack to watch the horses. He was also an avid Red Sox fan and golf enthusiast who enjoyed watching and attending tournaments. Up until the time of his death he was a greens advisor for his longtime friend Jim Grande at Exit 17 Golf.
