Work hard and treat people well: Those two tenets are a central part of the magic that propelled Antonio Fiorito’s success as the founder of Seven Brothers Gourmet, first in Queens and then in Oceanside. "Without him, we wouldn’t be here," said MaryAnn Piazza, a niece. "He really was the patriarch and he started the American dream for us."

That's because Fiorito, of Oceanside, was able to bring his parents and a dozen siblings from Italy to New York to contribute to and share in his success. Fiorito, 74, died May 6 of complications that arose after a heart ailment, Piazza said. That date also was the birthday of his wife, also named MaryAnn, who died 10 years ago. They had married in 1974. "They were just soul mates," his niece said.