Anna (Ungaro) Baldo

Anna Baldo, long-time resident of Ramsey and Mahwah, passed away Friday, April 4th, surrounded by family. She was 99.

Anna was known locally for her stunning ballroom dance moves alongside her late husband, dazzling everyone from fellow senior center attendees to college students.

She was born Anna Ungaro on March 12, 1926, outside of Naples, Italy, arriving in the U.S. with her mother, father, and two siblings at just two years old. Her love for music and dance started early: In her youth, she recorded under the stage name, “Little Annie Ungaro,” and participated in radio station singing contests. Anna loved performing and “fan-girling” over her favorite singers and performers. She once even faked being on the Seward High School newspaper so she could “interview” Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis at the Copacabana. At that same high school in lower Manhattan, Anna met the love of her life in the school orchestra–she played violin, while Anthony Baldo played clarinet and piano. Theirs was a love story for the ages with a marriage that lasted more than 73 years.

Anthony was attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., when World War II ended. He and Anna married in October 1950, settling in Brooklyn, where Anna worked for a textiles company, and Anthony worked as a draftsman, before their move to Ramsey where they raised their family.

After their children were grown, the couple took up ballroom dancing, and for nearly 20 years waltzed their way through dozens of senior proms, St. Patrick’s Day dances, college sorority parties, and senior center events throughout Bergen County. Anthony died in 2023.

Anna was always a go-getter, and ahead of her time when it came to “remote” work. She would stay up late into the night inking clothing patterns for silk screening to help pay for her kids’ college tuitions. A pot of coffee was always on the stove. Her love and talent for intricate work eventually led her to jobs working for Raytheon in which she’d solder computer circuit boards. But her real talent was as a magnificent cook—her baked clams, lasagna, and tomato sauce were unmatched. She loved to play cards, a gambling lust that later led her to hit the Atlantic City slots (and later many other casinos in other venues) whenever she could. And she could always be found at the nearest Bingo game.

Her family was her everything. Anna looked forward to the holidays when her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren gathered to sample all of her signature Italian specialties. She was an avid cheerleader at her grandchildren’s sporting events and dance recitals, and nothing made her happier than watching Yankees and Nets games with them.

She is survived by her four children: Nicholas Baldo of Wakefield, MA (Michelle D’Avolio); Janise Baldo of Albuquerque, NM.; Anthony Baldo, Jr. of Middletown, NJ. (Kathi Van Zandt Baldo); and Suzanne Misseri of Waldwick, NJ. She also leaves three grandchildren: Eva Baldo of New York City; James Baldo of Santa Monica, CA; and Joseph Misseri, Jr. of Waldwick, NJ. 

We will miss Anna’s self-deprecating manner, her compassion for others, and her strong faith. She lived every day with a passion for her husband, her children, and the grandchildren that kept her young at heart. 

Visitation will be from 4-8 PM on Wednesday, April 9 at Van-Emburgh-Sneider-Pernice Funeral Home, 109 Darlington Ave., Ramsey, NJ. A service will be held 10 AM, Thursday, April 10 at Cornerstone Christian Church, 495 Wyckoff Ave., Wyckoff, NJ. Entombment will follow at 11:30 AM at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave., Mahwah, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, 2 Shelter Lane, Oakland, N.J. 07436. Phone: 201-337-5180. 

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