His father had 7 brothers and 2 sisters. The oldest of the boys, Henry, made stringed instruments from salvaged wood timbers even though he was a diamond dealer by trade. Most of the children in the family had been involved in the arts. Another uncle, Vincent De Bellis, a barber by trade, was also a noted painter.
      When Mike was five and a half years old in 1929 the family moved to the "country" in Corona, Queens. Their new home was a three story brick house on 102nd Street. Mike had  a lot of favorite teachers growing up and recalled them fondly.
      Throughout his life Mike's one and only love was his wife Helen Barberio. She was born in Elmhurst, Queens. They met at a Newtown High School dance in Elmhurst. During this interview Mike walked us through his vivid earliest memories, his recollections of growing up and his Aunt's railroad flat, close family relationships, celebrating holidays, the family wine making tradition, prohibition and the Great Depression. He spoke of WWII, his time in Service in what was then the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific, his college years at New England College which followed, learning to cook, a growing family and his first part and full time jobs.
      After he came home from his World War II duty in the South Pacific he and Helen were married in 1948. They moved to New Hampshire where he attended New England College. While he was in college they had two children, Claudia and Michael.  He became a beloved teacher of Biology  in Penacook High School for several years. When the young family moved to Huntington, Long Island to be closer to family, Michael spent several years as an agent with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.  He then went back into teaching in Brentwood.
      When the fast growing Brentwood School District opened up what was then named South Junior High School he was made Assistant Principal and then a year later, principal.  This began the longest part of his career in education. For decades he was the beloved principal of the school.  Hundreds of teachers learned to be better teachers from "Mike" and thousands of children looked on him as more than "the boss of the school, he was my friend." Several years before retirement he was moved from what was now named "South Middle School" to the Freshman Center, the 9th Grade building of Brentwood High School.       
     He learned a lot from his students when he first began his teaching career at Penacook High School in New Hampshire. Those students prepared him, he said, for his experiences in Brentwood. He told about his arrival in Brentwood and his memory of Ed Sonderling and respect for Guy DiPietro.
      He was hired to teach Social Studies even though he'd matriculated as a pre-med student in college. Fred Weaver and Beryl Nott interviewed him for his Brentwood position. At that time Joe Graff supervised all elementary grades in The Village School. Before the Ross Building was completed (following Mike's arrival in the district) 11th and 12th grade students went to Bay Shore High School to complete their requirements.
     Prior to his B.P.S.O. service he was an active member of the Brentwood Teachers Association serving the B.T.A. as Treasurer for several years and helped guide it through a Constitutional revision. The revision was needed in order to move with changing times and a rapidly growing membership. Summers, however, were spent on or near the water. He was a passionate fisherman who could catch Blues with baloney.  He and Helen belonged to the Centerport Yacht Club where they had their boat, the "Playtonic," moored for many wonderful years.
      Following retirement he and Helen headed south to Florida.  The settled in Fort Pierce, made many new friends, re-found old ones and discovered the fun of going on the road in their RV They made their second home there for about 17 years.
     Declining health brought him home with Helen to Huntington; he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.  On the evening of the 22nd of December he was taken to the hospital with an intestinal distress. However, he apparently had other complications and died in the early evening of the 23rd.  He is survived by his wife, Helen, children: Claudia, Michael, Davide and Thomas and by his grandchildren: Frank, Adrianna, Michael George, Alicia, Jason, Darryl, Julianna,Steven, Michael IV and Katy.
     Mike died before any of us were ready to say goodbye, at the age of eighty years on December 23, 2004. His mark in Brentwood was unique and indelible. His service in the Brentwood Public School District is remembered and honored by many thousands of former colleagues, students and their parents. He rests in Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington, NY.