Long-time Staten Island chef Joseph Giudice Jr. succumbed to complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 20 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs, MO. He was 55. “He always had a charming sense of humor. He always spoke his mind. He had a great heart for people,” said his wife of 18 years, former Staten Islander Theresa Giudice (nee Ventimiglia).

A Brooklyn native, Giudice grew up in Grasmere. He was a member of St. Sylvester’s Church, where he volunteered as an Assistant Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 85. Giudice graduated from Concord High School, then went on to earn a degree from the New York Culinary Institute, Manhattan. He pursued his life-long passion for cooking, a love instilled in him by Carol Frazzetta, his mother, an acclaimed chef, culinary instructor and cookbook author who lives in Dongan Hills.