Devoted husband, father, and grandfather, writer, jazz singer, alto-saxophonist, and ballroom dancer; Tony La Monica was an Insurance Industry Executive who used acting and humor to engage his co-workers and clients, and to make and keep friends his entire life.
The relationship of his life was his marriage to Camille Pepe, with whom Tony was smitten the moment he laid eyes on her. Married in 1952, Tony and Camille shared a nearly 65 year mutual devotion.
Their children, Lisa, Selene and Michele meant everything to Tony and he worked tirelessly to provide the best in life for “his girls”. Their husbands, Brian Braun and Dana Munach, became sons who honored him in every possible way.
Tony’s grandchildren, Jesse, Samantha, and Sheridan Munach, were certainly the light of his life; Tony’s evidence that there is such a thing as immortality. He delighted in every single minute he spent with them and considered himself a rich man indeed.
Born on Valentine’s Day, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York, Tony was the eldest son of Sebastian “Ben” La Monica and Maria Bellafiore of Sicily. Their family was made complete by Tony’s younger brother, Charles Anthony La Monica, “Charlie-boy”, whom Tony adored all his life. His brother’s wife, Sandy, and their four children, Susan, Maria, Gina and Christina, completed his family circle in the most loving way.
Tony’s family also included many cousins, a self-appointed “cousins club” they created to contain their fondness for one another. He also enjoyed a loving relationship with his in-laws, Salvatore and Rose Pepe, his brother in-law, Sal “Junior”, and his nephew, Frank.
Among his professional relationships, Tony deeply valued his longtime friendship with Marvin Konigsberg.
Tony’s “Hitchcock Avenue Friends” were counted among his most precious, particularly Joe Marino.
Tony was propelled by his legacy as first-generation American-born. Educated at Long Island University, he was a prolific writer for his college’s newspaper and literary magazine. Because he married and anticipated his first child before completing his degree, he worked full-time and went to school part-time; earning his degree in 1957 after Lisa was born.
Tony aspired to a career as a writer, but changed his major to Business, inspired by the immediacy and practicality of supporting a family. He rose steadily in the insurance industry as Vice President of New York City-based Cosmopolitan Mutual Insurance Company, where he managed successful closing of a Cosmopolitan agency in Boston and then rejoined the home office as a special agent in production and marketing, opening a satellite as branch manager in New Haven, Connecticut.
In 1980, Tony and Camille relocated to Plantation, Florida, joining Atlas General Agency after it was acquired from Cosmopolitan Mutual, where he focused on workers’ compensation and restaurant packages equal to 3.5 million volume as South Florida Regional Director of Marketing.
Tony was honored as the Florida Association of Professional Insurance Agents’ Company Representative of the Year in 1994; a fitting tribute to a 42-year career filled with high-level responsibilities and achievements, and to a man whose talents and affection for people brought affection and respect in return.
Tony spent a good part of his time dancing and singing through his retirement years, counting his many blessings, and being grateful for the beautiful home, family and life he worked so devotedly to cultivate and maintain. A man who loved life, people, and especially family; Tony will always be celebrated as larger-than-life, and that would suit him just fine.
Tony's family so appreciates the many kind inquiries regarding flowers or donations. Perhaps our friends and family members would like to consider donations to advance Alzheimer's Research, www.alz.org/ or Lewy Body Dementia Research, www.lbda.org/, however, flowers are also more than welcomed.
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