Calliope G. (Mastrobuono) Salzillo

Calliope Salzillo, 97, of Tockwotton on the Waterfront, Providence, and formerly of 21 Falmouth Road, Cranston, died peacefully on Thursday, October 30, 2025. She was the much-beloved wife of the late Dr. Salvatore Salzillo for 46 years and the adored mother of Salvatore Salzillo Jr. of Cranston and Ramona Salzillo of Larchmont, NY.

She was born a dual citizen of Italy and the United States in Raviscanina, Caserta, Italy, to Giuseppe Mastrobuono, formerly of Providence, and Filomena Cimino Mastrobuono. She moved to the United States with her now-deceased sister Laudice and settled in Providence, first with their aunt Angelina and her husband, then in apartments on Tobey and Sycamore Streets, the latter when other siblings from Italy joined them. She married Salvatore in 1958 and they settled in Cranston, inviting all her siblings who were then college students to join them in their new home.

Before marriage and motherhood, she worked for California Artificial Flowers (CalArt), a job she loved and where she made many lifelong friends, including her best friend, Maria Campo, who survives her.

She spent a lifetime as a devoted wife, mother, aunt, and later grandmother, and as a fitness enthusiast, spending six days a week at the YMCA swimming a mile, walking four miles, and doing yoga long before it was popular. Even at 89, she walked six miles a day with us on the hills of Rome and San Francisco.

A gifted and talented cook and baker, she created everything from scratch, including her delectable pasta and Italian cookies, cakes, biscuits, and wandi. She was also a devout parishioner, first at St. Mark and then at St. Ann in Rhode Island, and at Chiesa Sacro Cuore and Chiesa Santa Croce in Raviscanina, Italy, where her beloved church bells rang in her honor and a Mass was held on Sunday, November 2. And not least, she loved traveling and spent summer and fall in Italy, and explored Europe with her family.

She will be most missed for being an adoring and supportive mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother; a loving sibling, cousin and sister-in-law; a caring aunt to many nieces and nephews; and a devoted friend. In addition to being the mother of Sal and Mona, she was the beloved mother-in-law of Judy Rosemeier and Daniel Ladow, and the best Nonna ever to Max Ladow of California and Samuel Ladow of New York. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews she loved dearly.

She is survived by her sister Desdemona Amelio of Italy; her brother Niceno (Jacqueline) Mastrobuono of New Haven, CT; her cousins Mena (Tino) and Rocco Ferraro of Santa Maria, Italy; her sister-in-law Dinah Mastrobuono of Virginia; and her brother-in-law Arthur Salzillo of Cranston. She was predeceased by her sisters Laudice and Dolores Mastrobuono and her brothers Pasquale (Gastone) and Critodemo (Tony) Mastrobuono.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary Church, 1525 Cranston Street, Cranston, on Friday, November 7 at 10 am. Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.

Calliope took great joy in feeding her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank at rifoodbank.org or at Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, RI 02907.