Salvatore Guardalibeni was born at Castelbuono, Province of Palermo, Italy, July 26, 1884, son of Marino Guardalibeni, of Castelbuono, a construction contractor on a large scale, and who died in Italy, in 1890, aged fifty-five years. His wife, Josephine (Tamburo) Guardalibeni, of the same town and province, died in Italy, in 1916, aged fifty-eight years. When Salvatore was six years of age, Marino Guardalibeni died, and two years later the boy left his home and mother to accompany a number of workmen who were employed in laying a water pipe line between Castelbuono and a little town seventy-five miles away. He remained on that operation three years, then, although but eleven years old, he went to Tunis, Africa, a French protectorate, with a construction company and about two thousand people, workmen and their families. That company was engaged in building bridges between the city of Tunis and the outlying desert sections, and while with that company the boy, Salvatore Guardalibeni, attended a night school taught by a priest who accompanied the workmen, and was a good friend to the lad.
In 1902 the French Government called to the colors all young men of the age of eighteen, whereupon the lad left Tunis and returned to Italy, which country he had left as a boy of eleven years. For two years he continued in construction work in Italy, but in 1904, at the age of twenty, entered the Italian army, in the field artillery, and served thirty-nine months, reaching the rank of corporal major. After receiving honorable discharge from the army he again became a construction worker, but after the disastrous earthquake in Messina, Italy, in 1908, he was again mustered into the Italian army to rebuild the devastated region. He remained in the army engaged in that work for two months, when he was discharged, and again he returned to Castelbuono, and there was employed in construction work until 1910, when he came to the United States, arriving in New York City April 4th of that year.
His first employment in New York City was with the Summerville Realty Company, engaged in concrete construction on Long Island. He was employed with that company as a mason for six months, but having an uncle living in Garfield, New Jersey, he secured employment with the John T. Harrop Company, of Garfield, later going with Long & Broadhurst, of Hackensack, New Jersey. He continued an employee until early in 1911, when he began contracting and general construction under his own name. In 1912 he secured his first large contract for street repairs and improvements from the borough of Lodi. That was the beginning of his present business as a contractor, and it started him on a career of success.
In 1915, Mr. Guardalibeni received his final papers conferring citizenship upon him; in 1917 he opened the offices in Lodi, at Passaic and Hunter streets, which he still occupies, and has built up a fine reputation as a street and sewer contractor, honest, reliable and capable. He has satisfactorily executed many large municipal contracts in Passaic, Garfield, Clifton, Wallington, Lodi and in Bergen county, and also outside of the State, his most recent contract from the borough of Lodi being to improve and repair Nicholson and Arnot streets, while from the city of Clifton he has a similar contract for South Third and Cherry streets, Gregory and Highland avenues.
In politics Mr. Guardalibeni is a Republican, and since 1918 he has been a member of Lodi Council, serving as a chairman of the road committee.
Mr. Guardalibeni is a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church of Lodi, New Jersey; Gallino Lodge, No. 135, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Passaic; the Orient Club; Khezan Sanctorium, No. 188, Oriental Order of Humility Perfection, of Hackensack; National Circle of Passaic; member and former treasurer of Lodi Lodge, Sons of Italy; and a former president of the Italian Republican League. He is also a member of Lodi Fire Company No. 1, and of the Exempt Firemen's Association of Lodi.
Mr. Guardalibeni married, December 11, 1911, Filomena A. Perrello, daughter of Leonardo and Theresa (Sanzone) Perrello, of Lodi, her father a grocer of Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. Guardalibeni are the parents of seven children: Marino, born September 6, 1912; Josephine, born November 4, 1913, died March 6, 1915; Leonard P., born March 7, 1915; Theresa J., born June 22, 1916' Salvatore (2), born March 30, 1918 died in August, 1918; Salvatore (3), born April 4, 1920; and Mary, born July 18, 1921. The family home is at No. 100 Washington street, Lodi, New Jersey.
[NOTE: Bio includes a photo of Salvatore Guardalibeni]
From: History of Passaic and its environs : historical, biographical, by Scott, William W. Published 1922.
