Dominick Paolella

What can you say about a person who loves their family more than anything, works tirelessly to support them while giving a stranger the shirt off his back if they needed it. For Dominick Paolella, this would be an understatement. At a very young age, what we would consider adolescent in today’s standards, he was off fighting in WWII. He was a mid-ship gunner on a B17, (Flying Fortress). He flew in missions that many never returned from, yet his commitment to defend our freedom was unaltered. In three separate occasions, he was shot down by enemy fire. In one instance they were shot down over Zara Yugoslavia. He and his crew found themselves in enemy territory. The townspeople immediately hid them in their homes until they could be rescued. For the next month, he hid in attics, sheds and basements by day and then had to move to another home by night to avoid being detected as the enemy would do surprise raids on the homes to see if the townspeople were hiding anyone. On another mission they were shot down and crash landed in Bari Italy. As Dominick emerged from the wreckage a bomb went off. The percussion from the bomb knocked him unconscious. He was awakened to a dog licking his face. As he got up, he realized he was on the beach in Bari with his plane nowhere in sight. That’s how far he was blown from his aircraft. The third time Dominick was returning from his mission, they called it a Flying Fortress because these aircraft would be shot to Swiss Cheese and still be able to return from their missions. On their return, they crash landed on the runway. The plane was engulfed in flames, Dominick realized that one of the pilots was unconscious. Even in shock, Dominick ran to the front of the aircraft, kicked out the windshield of the cockpit and proceeded to pull the pilot out by the pilot’s hair. He saved his life.

He’ll give you the shirt off his back! One day in Astoria queens after Dominick returned from the war, he was on his way home from an errand. Approaching Dominick was a man wearing a flight jacket from the same company as his when he was in the Army Air Core. He approached the man and asked, “Hi how you are doing? I was in the same outfit as you.” The man looked at him puzzled. Dominick continued by asking “Where were you deployed? “Again, the man looked at him and said: “Mister I don’t know what you’re talking about, I found this jacket in the trash up the street.” The man pointed to where he got it, it was Dominick’s parents’ home. Dominick’s mom had thrown out all of his uniforms and jackets. She didn’t want the memories. Dominick knew the man was homeless and just let the guy go on his way.

Dominick would do whatever it took to support his family. He would work two, sometimes three jobs for most of his life to support his kids, including a fifth child whose parents were killed in a car crash. She had no family in the States and at the age of 16, Dominick’s wife Rose, took her in even though they already had 4 mouths to feed on top of their own. Dominick wasn’t an educated man, but he had a Doctorate in Life Experience.

I used Dominick’s first name throughout this mini-Bio, I started out this Bio by saying “What can you say?”  and this would be an understatement. Dominick was from a rare breed; you would be very fortunate to know a man like him. I am fortunate to say he was our dad. He was in good company too. My Uncle Ange was in Iwo Jima and was only a few feet from the soldiers raising the infamous flag we see today on the statue. He was shot just as he went to grab part of the flagpole. My other Uncle George was a Medal of Honor Recipient. There are no words to properly describe men like my dad and my uncles. They were true American Hero’s. If I had to think of one word that would best describe my father…it would be Selfless!

Visitation- Thursday February 6, 2025 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. at our West Sayville Funeral Home, 245 Main St.

Chapel Service- Thursday February 6, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at our West Sayville Funeral Home, 245 Main St.

Entombment- Pinelawn Memorial Park. Friends and family will gather Friday February 7, 2025 from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. at our West Sayville Funeral Home, 245 Main St., for a closing prayer before processing to cemetery

My Pop and I have been more then just Father and Son, what I’m going to tell you here is what my Life and how my life ended up Being what it is because of my Pop!
When I was 13 my Dad had his own Tractor Trailer and he would go cross country and haul Government Helicopters, and just about anything he could haul on his Flatbed for the
Gov’t. He worked his ass off driving to make a living. When School was out he would take me along for the whole Summer until school started. I learned from my father while living in
the sleeper a few things, how to work hard, strapping downs Loads we cargo , I learned how to go through permit stations and weigh stations, and also learned how to talk like a Truck
driver at 13, I knew when to drop the F bombs at precise moments. Pop was a workaholic and proud to have me along! I called Pop, Nick pretty much our whole working lives together no disrespect it was his work name from me, and I pretty much worked with him about 50 years. It started out I was a Commercial captain on Clam Dredge Boats at my teen years into my 20’s, I married Dede she was 19, I was 23, by 22 I went from the Dredge boat days to being Offshore Commercial fishing for a couple of years, my dad was working Giffords Oil as a General Manager, he was Mr. Giffords right hand man. They both said to me one day when I went to visit Pop at work, he said if you ever want to give up fishing offshore you have a job here. Well long story short
Dede was pregnant with Little Deirdre and I had no medical coverage and I went to work for Pop, and that’s when Our life together began. Beside the part when he raised us, lol !
Well my father was a Loyal and consistent man, he was Loyal to Mom / Rosie, us/ Family, and his Job, he was also very consistent, you could set your watch on him. Looking
back now with my work ethics I often wondered where we all got this all from, when it was right in front of Us, it was Pop. He never drove it to us to work, work, work, we all just did it.
My brother Mike only had two jobs in his whole life, the Air Force and then he worked for the Government until he retired, Loyal and Consistent. My Sister Sue had two jobs one with travel agent and the other American Express, Loyal and Consistent, Rick had two Major Jobs all related to the same thing, only reason he changed jobs was his company would sell to a Larger Corporation, he was Loyal and Consistent. My point is we all had been raised without even knowing it to be Loyal and consistent in which we possessed from Pop/ Nick. Somehow, he and Mom managed to raise their family with ease even though we never saw Pop during the week, he had this aura about him that we respected him and Mom without being reprimanded, we knew our place. Mom was Traditional with that there was always a meal on the table, house was always clean, and organized, Pop work three jobs at times to make ends meet, we always had good clothes, great food and a Happy childhood! Don’t get me wrong there were a lot of times one of us would get out of hand, and we knew the wooden spoon was soon to be met in the back of your heads! Pop came home from working all day into the night, he would take a shower Mom would feed him and he would fall asleep at the table sometimes, but not once would he complain about anything, he would just do it and get it done. His days off which was Sunday, he would get all the chores done on a list as long as your arm, and of course at the kitchen table he would tell us what chores he wanted done, and we did them. If you got out of line or rebelled, he would say one thing, and you shut your mouth, and get it done, or you met the Hammer and not the one you build houses with, the one at the end of his arm, LOL look out! I won’t get into it but Brother Mike Rebelled once and set the example to us to never rebel, when he met the Hammer in the Garage, I’ll let Mike tell that story that’s a whole other Page. All in all Pop was a Hard worker his entire life, he enjoyed Simple Family events, BBQing, Martini’s, Scotches with his Brother in Laws. He enjoyed His Boats and Fishing a lot with us and his Brother in laws. He really Enjoyed being the Weigh Master at the Striped Bass Tournaments with his Favorite Uncle George who was also the weigh master for many years
at the Riverview. Pop enjoyed His Family more than anything, when he wasn’t working thats what he aimed to do spend time with Us! Mom and Pop were always very generous to making sure we ate or anyone who would visit them. You got Italian hour whether you wanted it or not, always had offerings ! I’m so glad my grand kids got to meet him, he didn’t say much but they always gravitated to him with hugs and sit close to him when they were with him. Amazing life Pop had, the only regret I will ever have is that he’s Gone now ! I’ll miss him terribly so, but I will keep telling myself he’s even Happier now he’s back with My Mom Rosie!!