Carl Muscarello

Carlo Samuel Muscarello (“The Moose”), a Plantation resident from 1970 until 2021, earned his wings surrounded by his loving family on February 27, 2024, at the age of 97 in Marietta, Georgia, following a short illness.

Carlo was born at home in Brooklyn, New York, on August 27, 1926, to proud Italian immigrants Maria Grazia (Attinello) and Sebastiano Muscarello, who came to America seeking a better life for their family. His birth was greatly heralded as Carlo was the first-born son after three sisters, Celia, Nancy and Gloria. The family grew to include three more boys, Armando, Herbie, Raymond and another daughter, Vera.

As a child, Carlo was hardworking and responsible, helping his family by going to school and learning English. As the oldest boy, he was often called upon to help his family put food on the table when times were lean. At the age of 16, he left school to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a shipfitter and a few months after his 18th birthday in 1944, he enlisted in the Navy to join the war effort. He served on the submarine tender USS Orion in the Atlantic and the Panama Canal Zone until July of 1946.

On V-J Day, August 14, 1945, as the entire world rejoiced, Carl and thousands of men, women, and children flooded the streets of Times Square to celebrate the war’s end. A brief but iconic moment in time was captured when Life Magazine photographer Albert Eisenstadt photographed two strangers, an 18-year-old Carl and 28-year-old Edith Shane, a nurse, in the spontaneous kiss which captured the joy of the nation and is now recognized around the world. Edith and Carl would not see or speak to each other again for 50 years and had no idea that kiss would become the iconic and controversial photo it became.

After his discharge from the Navy, Carl enlisted in the New York City Police Department, first assigned as a foot patrolman. Carl moved quickly through the ranks and was ultimately promoted to detective. Because he spoke fluent Italian, Carl often went undercover to infiltrate the Mafia at their peak of power in the US in the late 1940s and 1950s.  

Carl found love on a ski trip to Vermont one weekend in 1957 when he met his future wife and the mother of his children, Margaret Acocella, of Montclair, New Jersey. The couple were married on October 4, 1958, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montclair, and danced their first song as husband and wife to “Moonlight in Vermont” by Frank Sinatra.

Margaret and Carl settled into married life in Brooklyn, and almost 9 months to the day from that first dance, a baby girl named Marie Grace, after Carl’s mother, was born. Less than two years later, the couple welcomed their son Sebastian Anthony, named after Carl’s father. Soon after, the young family moved into a two-bedroom apartment on the top floor of Carl’s parent’s house on East 13th Street in Brooklyn. Every Sunday, aunts, uncles and cousins would crowd into Grandma and Grandpa’s basement for huge Italian meals.

By this time, Carl was a Homicide Detective and worked on several high-profile cases. He didn’t wear a uniform and drove an unmarked police car with a siren. Sebastian and Marie would enjoy their own adventures riding in Carl’s unmarked car with its siren blaring and listening in on wiretaps despite not understanding the conversations in Italian.  

But police work proved hazardous and Carl’s career with the force came to an end after he suffered disabling stab wounds wrestling a knife from a crazed assailant. The injuries Carl received that day led to his retirement from the NYPD, but new opportunities awaited in sunny South Florida.

In the summer of 1970, the Muscarello's moved to Plantation and Carl began his second career as a Fraud Inspector for American Express Corporation in Miami. Already an avid golfer, the Florida move only presented Carl with infinitely favorable weather and plenty of courses to play. Carl shared his love for the game with his growing son, Sebastian, and together and individually, they both won many tournaments in the area. Life in Florida was everything the Muscarello Family dreamed it would be. Carl and Margaret bought their dream home in Plantation with fruit trees in the backyard and a beautiful pool. Carl thrived in his work at American Express.

Tragedy came after 8 years in Plantation when Margaret was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a mere 3 months later in November of 1978. Margaret’s passing proved a hardship for Carl and his kids, but Carl kept Marie and Sebastian close and remained involved in their young lives pushing through the grief. Carl’s career continued to blossom as he was promoted to Chief Inspector of Latin America for American Express and earned many awards and accolades for his fraud prevention tactics that saved his company millions of dollars.

After a time, Carl was blessed to find love again with Shelly McCabe and the families that blended when they married in February of 1991. Shelly was a flight attendant for American Airlines and the benefits from that allowed the couple to travel the world from Paris to Egypt; London to South America. During their marriage, 8 grandchildren were born in three different states and their ease of travel allowed Carl and Shelly to never miss an event involving a child or grandchild.

Carl and Shelly lived in Plantation for over 30 years and always enjoyed socializing with people of all ages. Their neighborhood parties were legendary. They always had a full social calendar and their home was filled with laughter and light.

Over the years, Carl sent many an autographed copy of the famed VJ-Day “kissing sailor” photo to anyone who would ask, around the world, keeping alive the memory of that jubilant event that perfectly signified the end of so terrible a conflict. Himself a veteran, as well as an advocate for veterans, Carl found the perfect forum to support vets of all America’s recent conflicts when he became involved in the Honor Flight Organization in 2015 after taking one of their flights to Washington DC. This dedication to veterans by participating in Honor Flight was a source of pride for Carl in his remaining years.

Carl is preceded in death by his first wife Margaret, his parents, Sebastiano and Maria Grazia, brothers Raymond, Armando and Herbie and sisters Gloria, Nancy and Celia, as well as his stepson, Joe Robert McCabe Jr. He is survived by daughter Marie (Bruce) Hain, son Sebastian Muscarello, stepdaughter Lisa (Duane) Miller, grandchildren Stephen Hain, AnnaRose (Rob) Girvin, Grace Muscarello, Natalie Hain, Mark McCabe, Olivia Muscarello, Sam (Katie) McCabe, Ann-Marie Muscarello, and daughters-in-law Cindy Muscarello and Jodie McCabe Morrow. He is also survived by his sister Vera Liberatore and many nieces and nephews as well as many great-nieces and great-nephews.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024; 5:00-8:00pm at T. M. Ralph Funeral Home, 7001 NW 4th St., Plantation, FL 33317. Mass of Christian Burial, Friday, March 22, 2024; 10:30-11:30 am at St. Gregory The Great Catholic Church, 200 N. University Dr., Plantation, FL 33324. Burial Friday, March 22, 2024; 12:30-1:00 pm at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1500 S. State Road 7, North Lauderdale, FL 33068.

*In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations in Carl's name to Honor Flight

online@honorflightsouthflorida.org  

Honor Flights S FL

P.O. Box 16821

Plantation, Florida 33318