Health & Fitness
Knightsville's Hero : Peter Garzilli
By Deanna & Joseph Agresti
Have you ever woken up on a snowy morning to a shoveled path? What about pulling into your driveway after work to find your front lawn raked with the leaves brown bagged and ready for pick up?
In Knightsville these things happen because of Peter Garzilli, the son of the famous Garzilli's bakery on Vermont Street. At 72 years young, Peter makes it his personal responsibility to make sure others are taken care of and he never expects a thank you. Peter does all of this because he wants to and he does it with a smile on his face. He takes pride in caring for Knightsville.
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During the first snowfall on Sunday, December 15th we woke up to the sound of him shoveling our walkway, we thanked him and invited him in for coffee. He was so dedicated to finishing that we had to beg him to come in to join us. Peter loves to talk about the good old days, his friends and those who have recently passed away.
Driving home on Tuesday night during the second storm we noticed Peter walking down Florida Avenue with a shovel in one hand and a cane in the other. We offered Peter a ride home but he told us he still needed to shovel because if he didn’t the mailman was going to get hurt. That's just typical of Mr. Garzilli, always thinking of others. He has such a warm heart.
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Not only is Peter there for you when Mother Nature hits, but he also is there at every wake and funeral. The Nardollillos probably see Peter more than anyone else. Peter has met a lot of people over the years and has made lots of friends and it hurts him to see them pass. He honors them by having Masses dedicated in their memory.
We both remember going to Garzilli's Bakery when we were kids. Peter's father would be sitting by the hot bread oven with buns for all the kids. After we got our own personal buns we’d run straight to the car to enjoy it. It was the highlight of our Sundays. Just like his father, Peter is always looking out for others, serving the people of Knightsville.
People like Peter Garzilli are what make Knightsville feel like home to us. So the next time you see Peter on the street say hello or better yet thank him for he is the nicest, sweetest and most caring guy in town.