Donato (Danny) Ferrante July 13, 1936 December 4, 2014 -Portland Donato (Danny) Ferrante, 78, of Portland, former local business owner, died December 4, 2014, after a long illness. He was born July 13, 1936, in Lettomanoppello, Italy, the youngest of nine children. He is predeceased by his parents, Rocco Ferrante and Giovina DiMatteo. He is also predeceased by his brothers Antonio, Vincenzo, and Costantino; and his sisters Santa, Filomena, and Concetta. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Annetta (Profenna) Ferrante; his son Rocco Ferrante and his wife Gina DiPietrantonio Ferrante of Portland; daughter Giovina Ferrante-George and her husband Robert George of Fiskdale, MA; and Milva Smith and her husband Stephen Smith of Whitefield, ME. He is survived by nine grandchildren: Chiara and Anna Lisa Ferrante; Sofia, Olivia, and David George; Alessandro, Hugo, Giacomo, and Mila Smith. He is also survived by his brother Nicola Ferrante of Lettomanoppello, Italy; sister Lucia Ferrante-DiFazio of Marcinelle, Belgium; nieces Cindy Ferrante of South Portland, MaryAnn Roberts of Stratham, NH; and many other nieces and nephews in Italy, Belgium, and Germany. Donato left Italy as a young man and found work in Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. In 1961 he immigrated to the United States to join his brother Antonio (Tony) in Portland, Maine. In 1962, he traveled back to Italy to marry Annetta Profenna, who followed him to the U.S. In the 1960's and early 1970's, Donato worked day and night jobs to support his family, including working at Ametek Inc. as a machinist, at the Songo Shoe factory, as a landscaper, and as a dishwasher and cook at the Sportsman's Grill. He also worked as a sandwich maker at Amato's on India Street in Portland. In 1972, Donato's weekend job at Amato's became his career when John Amato offered him the opportunity to open a new Amato's location on Forest Avenue in Portland. Danny, as he was known to his customers, independently owned and operated Amato's Sandwich Shop for twenty-five years until his retirement in 1997. He was a member of the Italian Heritage Center and the BPO Elks, and the Columbia Club of Portland. He was a communicant of Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church, where he was a member of the Holy Name Society. Danny loved taking Sunday drives to the ocean with his family. His hobbies included swimming, golfing, jogging, and playing cards. In his later years, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, playing Tombola and card games, and watching cartoons together. He will be remembered as a great story-teller who shared many stories of growing up in Italy and traveling throughout Europe. Family and friends are invited to visiting hours on Monday, December 8, 2014 from 4 - 7pm at A.T. Hutchins Funeral and Cremation Services, 660 Brighton Ave, Portland. Prayers will be recited at the funeral home at 8:45am on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10am at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 72 Federal St. Portland. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. To offer words of condolence and share memories with the family, please go to www.athutchins.com In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 11454 Alexandria, VA 22312 National Kidney Foundation 30 East 33rd Street New York, NY 10016