Peter Bianco

Peter Bianco, who was devoted to his wife and children before all else, but who also grew to adore his adopted neighborhood of Tribeca, died at 51 on April 5, 2024. The cause was glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that was just diagnosed in August. He fought till the end to live longer than his doctors’ original prediction of two weeks, despite bouts of covid and pneumonia.

Peter was born and raised in Rome and his real name was Pierandrea, but his grandfather, who had a huge influence on his life and who was also obsessed with the United States, nicknamed him Peter — as a way to make it easier to pronounce and remember for Anglos. It was his grandfather who pushed him to come to the States for college, which he did — graduating from Vassar in 1994. And then he stayed, working in finance and getting a graduate degree until returning to Rome in 1999; he had become a bit of a workaholic here and he thought a return to Italy might help him strike a better balance.

And it’s good he did, since it was there that he met a friend’s sister, Michela Santacroce, at a party. The two have been together ever since that night in 2001. “It was, what can I say, like this crazy love,” Michela recalled. “We had 23 years together and that love was our strength, our power.”

When Michela became pregnant, they decided almost on a whim to move to New York to have the baby — to give the child the same opportunities that Peter had for education. Their son Mattia was born in April 2006. The plan then was to stay for a year. Three years later, when their second child was born in 2009 — a girl this time, Mirta — that sealed it. Italy, Michela said, does not have the same opportunities for women. They put down roots. “Having children here, it’s like a gift that you give to them if they want to use it later in their life,” Michela said.

Peter worked in finance his whole career, including at KPMG and last at PWC. He got his MBA from Columbia in 1999, before his move back to Rome, and back then lived mostly uptown. When Peter came back to the States with Michela, the only person she knew in New York City lived in Tribeca — so they settled on Greenwich Street across from PS 234. The kids went there, then later to Lab and Loyola high schools. The friends they all made in the 234 schoolyard became family.

“I always thought the secret to our marriage was to live alone without family nearby,” Michela said with a laugh. “We were already in love, but we were able to just be alone and build our friendship. But the amazing thing about New York is your friends become your family. My brother came here when Peter was sick and he said, Michela this is amazing — the support that you have.” “This is such a beautiful neighborhood — it’s just so special,” she added.

Peter loved doing just about any outdoor sport and was a avid skier and sailor. Recently the family found a vacation home on the North Fork, and he got a Laser that he could sail right out of the backyard. As a family, they spent most of their hours together outside, in Washington Market Park and Hudson River Park. Peter also volunteered with Friends of Bogardus Plaza.

In 2021, he became a US citizen, retaining his Italian citizenship as well. But if he had to give up one, it would have been Italy. “He was a very proud American,” Michela said. “That’s why we sacrificed everything and came here for the future of the kids. Italy, it’s a great vacation. It will always be in our hearts. But our life is here.”

The family was on vacation in Italy last August when Peter woke up one morning and couldn’t remember his password for his phone or computer. They went to the hospital and the doctors said he had two weeks to live — and that he should take the next flight back to New York. If he had any chance at all, they said, it was with the doctors there.

Michela spent the next seven months with him 24/7, counting on friends from the neighborhood to help with the kids. He fought hard to stay alive: through three surgeries, regular seizures, covid and finally pneumonia. “That was the hand that dragged him down,” Michela said. The only bright spot in those months was Mattia’s acceptance to Northeastern University, the dream Peter had for his future children when he suggested that the young couple move to New York 18 years ago.

“That was the only beautiful thing we had in this nightmare,” Michela said. “Peter thought this is what was so great about this country — you can work, you can study, you can do anything. That was what he wanted for his children. That was what he believed in.”