Obituary of Martin (Tino) Santini

August 25, 2021

Martin Lawrence Santini, Jr., known as Tino, a man whose business acumen and artistic talents were exceeded only by his personal magnetism, died peacefully on August 25th of an aggressive glioblastoma brain tumor. Tino accomplished each project, hobby and new interest with ridiculous ease and infectious enthusiasm. He designed and built magnificent dry stone walls for family members, studied cooking in Italy with his sisters and learned the art of glassblowing at Urban Glass in Brooklyn. He was an industry leader with more than 50 years of experience in commercial moving. He was 69 years old.

Tino was born into an ambitious and successful Italian immigrant family, creators of the highly regarded and widely recognized Seven Santini Brothers Moving Company, founded in New York City by his great uncles in 1905. His grandfather, Martino, the youngest of the brothers, joined them in 1907. For 80 years, the company grew into one of the world's largest moving, packing and shipping organizations. Tino was named President in 1986, managing an international company with nearly 1000 employees.

In 1988, when the Seven Santini Brothers Company was sold, Tino stayed in the moving business, becoming a highly successful Account Executive for Central Moving and Storage, gaining important new clients such as the United Nations. They moved 5,000 people, one million square feet of office space, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library, returning them three years later to the renovated complex.

In 2015, he and his partner, John Lappetito, bought Central Moving and continued to specialize in complex relocations. In the first month of the Pandemic, the company moved beds and ventilators into hospitals. Tino tracked down masks and gloves for his men and carefully guided them through unknown territory.

Born on November 21, 1951 in the Bronx, he was the "best beloved" son of Doris "Butzie" Hughes Santini and Martin L. "Big Marty" Santini, the Executive Vice President of the Seven Brothers company, in charge of the International Division. He was their first son in what would become a family of six children, living in Yonkers in the early 1950s and in Hastings-on-Hudson from 1958 – 1986. He graduated from Archbishop Stepinac High School, earned a BA in Mathematics from St. Bonaventure University and an MA in Mathematics from Fordham University.

In 1976, Tino married his college sweetheart, Colleen Cunningham. Their daughter, Maisie, joined the family soon after. Together they enjoyed learning to make Chinese food, eating pizza at Sam's, making wine "mess up the head red" and summering in the Hamptons with the Santinis. During these years he became a Master pie baker and a stained glass artist. Colleen died in 2005 after a long illness. Maisie, married Greg Hansen in 2005 and Tino's namesake Martin Santini Hansen was born in 2008, followed by William Phillip Hansen in 2010.

Introduced by a mutual friend, Tino met Laura Young in 2006. They were a lively and loving team and married in 2008. They honeymooned aboard the tall ship, the Sea Cloud II, crossing the Atlantic despite Tino's propensity toward seasickness. In the following years, they traveled often to exotic places around the world.

He introduced Laura to gourmet cooking, gardening, and the joys of
being a grandparent. She took Tino to live theater weekly, and he accompanied
her to Metropolitan Opera rehearsals and filmings, enjoying her 15 years of work
as an Editor of the television broadcasts.

Tino is survived by his wife, Laura, daughter, Maisie, son-in-law Greg Hansen, and grandsons Marty and Will; his brothers, sisters and their spouses: Mimi Santini-Ritt and Roger Ritt, David and Susan Santini, Lolly Santini Katz and Syd Katz, Steve and Lisa Santini, LTC(R) John "Chooie" and Mary Santini; and his nieces and nephews, Evan and David Ritt, Michele Katz, Marc and Debbie Katz, Stephen and Nicholas Santini, and Sammi Santini.

He will be greatly missed by Laura's family: her parents, Paul and JoAnn Young; her siblings, Julie Bensley and Paul Young, Tim Bensley and Betsy Young; and by Colleen's family, her siblings Mary K and John Reynolds, and Elizabeth Fox, and by many nieces, nephews, cousins and their spouses.

Tino will be forever remembered by a multitude of friends and business associates, with longtime close relationships that reach back to neighborhood pals, college 'Rally' friends, and any person who ever spent time in his charismatic presence.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Urban Glass. Tino enjoyed many hours in the hot shop at Urban Glass making bowls and vases among other artistic endeavors. This money will go towards educating young artists which Tino was passionate about. Please mail donations to the address below and indicate that it is in honor of Tino Santini,
Donations :
Urban Glass - Ruth Kaplan
Interim Director of Development
647 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Link for livestream:
https://youtu.be/Agbn5WwifTw

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