Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Nina Eleanor Carvelli aka Mo, Memo, or Ellie was born on Decemeber 6th, 1940 to Bessie and John Carvelli and sister, Rosalie. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, she adored her father, who retired from the New YorkCity Department of Sanitation. In her teenage years, she enjoyed dancing. She met Simone "Sammy" Santoro at the Triange Ballroom in Richmond Hill, New York. They fell in love while drag racing through Queens and Long Island in a '57 silver Bonneville with red interior and their names embroidered in the visors. She didn't let the overwhelming number of men racing discourage her from getting behind the wheel and she went on to be the only female driver to win at the Hampton's New York Speedway in 1960. A picture published in the local paper, revealed to her father what his Nina had been up to. After several years together, Sammy proposed and the couple were wed in August of 1963, after the passing of her mother in 1962. Sammy and Nina honeymooned in San Juan, meeting a lovely barsta, Patricia. In 1967, they welcomed their first born child into the world and named her after Patricia-- Teisha Marie. They lived in Glendale, New York and in 1971, welcmed thier second child, named after her father and husband-- John Simone.
Nina and her children moved to Hollywood, Florida in 1972 and stayed there until 1975. Then they moved back to Glendale. She raised her famiy there until 1986, when she moved back to Florida to be near her sister. Nina lived in Cooper City with her son and thier dog Roscoe and began working in Salon Unlimited as a shampoo asssistant/ receptionist. At Salon Unlimited, she made many lifelong friends. She went on to work at Ciao Bella and Cut & Curl.
Nina had many things that she enjoyed in life: playing Fantasy Five and her lotto numbers; shopping anywhere, especially Walmart; going to the Casino to play the slot machines, bingo with Frank and Larry, and her annual trips with Anna on New Year's Eve. She loved going out to lunch with her sister Rosalie and bother-in-law Bob. However, Nina's most adored pastime was spoiling her grandchildren: Michael, Stephanie, Vincent, GianLuca, and Giada. She would take any opportunity she could to spoil them, whether it was walks to the park in Cooper City, riding the trolley to the stores to buy them toys, or most recently purchasing any game that Giada and GianLuca wanted on ther iPads.
Nina would be found watching and rooting for all teams during football season and imagining that she would hit it big on Wheel of Fortune. Later in life, she was introduced to Facebook where she would save everyone's photos and then repost them and ask you if you saw it. She alwys had her stylus in hand and her pinky raised. She loved her candy and we would find it hidden everywhere. Nina always drssed to the nines and would never leave the house without her hair done and makeup on, even if it was just a trip to Publix.
Everyone who knew her has their own special memories of her. She was the kindest, most generous person I know. She had an enormous heart. Nina never went anywhere empty handed and would give you her last dollar if it would help you. At the same time, she was brutally honest and would not hold back her thoughts on any subject. She will be missed by many but mostly by her family: Teisha, John, Fran, Michael, Stephanie, Vincent, GianLuca, Giada, and her sister, Rosalie.
