Manco was more than just the man behind the dough

Last Updated on Monday, March 18, 2013 08:52 am Written by Ann Richardson Sunday, March 17, 2013 01:05 am

Friends recall pizza king as generous, kind and caring

Frank Manco, who died earlier this month at the age of 81, was the longtime* president of the former Mack and Manco Pizza on the Ocean City Boardwalk – now Manco and Manco.

OCEAN CITY – Never without a kind word and a friendly smile, Frank Manco, who died earlier this month at the age of 81, was the longtime president of the former Mack and Manco Pizza on the Ocean City Boardwalk – now Manco and Manco.

Those who knew him best say the man behind the iconic boardwalk landmark with the famous pizza pies was a loving husband, father and grandfather with a big heart and a genuine love for his community.  

“He was a very kind, very generous man,” said Ocean City publicist Mark Soifer, who has known the Manco family since he arrived in Ocean City in the 1960s. “He was very sociable, always willing to lend a hand. Frank and his wife, Kay, were always so congenial.”

Soifer said Frank and Kay Manco were the driving force behind the success of Manco and Manco, which grew from one to three stores on the boardwalk over the decades.

“It’s always sad to see these people go, so much a part of the community,” he said. “You always think they’ll be here forever, but unfortunately that’s not the case. We will all miss Frank Manco.”

Soifer said that Manco and Manco has become a signature business of the Ocean City Boardwalk.

“It helps the city a lot that we have those businesses, icons that people associate Ocean City with. People can’t wait to get back here, year after year, because they have to have a slice of Manco and Manco pizza. They make a quality product; they’re an integral part of the boardwalk,” he said.

Manco, who played the saxophone in his younger days and loved to dance, was a former board member of the Ocean City Pops. Bill Scheibel, maestro of the Pops, said Manco was among the orchestra’s most ardent fans.

“Frank and his whole family were always there for the Pops,” he said. “He loved sitting up in the front row with Kay.”

At the end of the funeral service for Manco at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church on March 7, Scheible, on the trumpet, joined a violinist from the Pops and the organist from St. Augustine’s to play Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” for a very special friend.

“Frank Manco loved Frank Sinatra, and ‘My Way’ was one of his favorite songs,” Scheibel said. “People really talked about it after the mass. It was very special, to do that for Frank. It was very moving for me, knowing how much Sinatra meant to him. Music was a very important part of Frank Manco’s life.

“I feel very blessed that Frank and Kay were able to be a part of the Pops family,” he said. “The two of them were inseparable. We’re all going to miss him. The front row won’t be the same without Frank Manco.”

Schiebel said he spent some time with Manco over the past few months, reminiscing about the old days.

“Unfortunately, his mobility was limited so he couldn’t come to the concerts,” he said. “Frank will be long remembered for his great sense of humor, his quick wit. He was a really fun person to be around. He was wonderfully warm.”

Ken Cooper, president of the Ocean City Historical Museum, said the Mancos always supported the museum. He met Frank and Kay years ago when he befriended their daughter, Mary.

“Frank was a good guy,” he said. “He was always laid back. I was friends with Mary since we were kids. The Mancos are a good family, always so warm and welcoming to me. They were always very good to their employees. Everyone worked very hard for the Mancos. They were prize positions to have, to work at Manco and Manco.”

John Stauffer, president of Johnson’s Popcorn and a longtime friend of the Manco family, said Frank Manco was “one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever known.”

“He was a very special friend,” he said.

Manco, he said, had a wonderful sense of humor.

“Whenever someone asked him about the success of his business he would say, ‘I always did what Kay told me to do,’” he said. “Success always depends on the wife, he would say, and that was very true in Frank’s case. They were a great couple; we had a lot of fun together.”

Stauffer said he and his wife Rita became friendly with the Mancos after Rita and Kay started walking together on the boardwalk. He and Kay walked the New York City Marathon many years ago, with the spouse’s cheering them on.

“We had some great times,” he said.

They often traveled to Orlando together, where they would stay at the Mancos favorite spot, the Orlando Grand Cypress.

“It was Frank and Kay’s home away from home,” he said.

True to his nature, Frank Manco would befriend everyone, making fast friends with some of the staff, Stauffer said, and inviting them to vacation in New Jersey.

“There were two bell hops at the funeral, Steve and Van,” Stauffer said. “They came up to say goodbye to Frank. That says a lot about what kind of people Frank and Kay are.”

A big part of Manco and Manco for more than 57 years before he retired, Stauffer said Frank Manco was the man behind the dough.

“That special dough was Frank’s. It’s what makes the pizza so special,” he said.

“Frank had such a great sense of humor; he was so nice to everyone. He never had a bad word to say to anybody,” he said. “He would never put anyone down.”

Manco, Stauffer said, was extremely generous with family, loyal employees and friends.

“He was a great guy. Rita and I are going to miss him,” he said. “He was the kind of guy that you felt blessed to have known. He had a very big heart. His employees loved him, the Mancos treated them all like family.

“Frank was a very religious man, a very faithful man. When you face life, the best way is to view the day in light of eternity. You have to put problems in perspective, whatever problem you have won’t make a difference 100 years from now.”

Stauffer said Manco lived a long, full life.

“He was blessed,” he said. “Kay kept him alive, her dedication was incredible. He was blessed in many ways, but especially blessed to have Kay.” 

Manco was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps before being honorably discharged.

He served as president of Unico at the national level, president of Villa Victoria Academy in West Trenton and served on the board of the Ocean City Pops. He was a member of the Ocean City Exchange Club and the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club in Trenton and was a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus with Hamilton Counsel 6213.

In addition to his wife Kay, Manco is survived by one daughter, Mary Bangle, and her husband, Chuck, of Somers Point; one granddaughter, Caitlin Bangle; a sister-in-law, Carmella Gervasio and her husband, Anthony; brother-in-law Nick Ballone and numerous nieces and nephews. 

*This article previously stated that Frank Manco founded Mack and Manco. It was Frank's father, Vincent, who was a founding member of the pizza shop.

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