“We all went to Our Lady of Lourdes School in Malverne,” she said of her brothers and sisters. “Malverne was a huge part of our lives, even though we lived in Oceanside.”

A wake was held for Pierina on Jan. 4 at Towers Funeral Home in Oceanside. Roughly 100, including Pierina’s brother, Augustine Lanzo, and sister, Julia Nasso, turned out for her funeral mass on Jan. 5 at St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside. She was buried at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury.

Oceanside resident Frank Carbone, 59, who described his mother as the “matriarch of the family,” said that the outpouring of support has been “overwhelming.”

“It’s been a sea of people,” he said. “The cards, the letters are so heartwarming, saying such kind things. We’re all very touched. She kept everyone together. She really guided us — she was the driving force behind the family.”

Frank also noted that his mother was heavily involved with Pat’s Prime Meats, which he believes helped the business blossom over time. “She was the

backbone of my father’s business. It was their life,” he said. “She ran the back office operations for him. She was there six days a week. She did quite a bit. For many years, it was booming.”

Relatives also recalled that Pierina was presented with the “Woman of the Year” award by Molloy College in Rockville Centre in 1976 for her involvement in the school’s Parents Guild group. “My sister Rosemarie attended and graduated Molloy,” said Frank, “and mom was very dedicated to the Parents Guild, even well after my sister graduated. The Guild was like a PTA, which ran fundraisers to generate scholarships and benefits for students.”

What he’ll miss about his mother, Frank noted, were the various hobbies she enjoyed, from sowing, to gardening, to crocheting. He’ll also miss her presence at family gatherings, he said.

Yako echoed those sentiments, describing her mother as “family centered.” “Everything was about the family,” she said. “There were gatherings for every little thing — every holiday, every anniversary. There wasn’t anything we missed.”

Friends and family members said that her memory will live on in the community, and she will always be remembered for her generosity and her warm spirit.