Colonial Funeral Home: Celebrating 25 Years with the Chamber

By Michael Anderson, The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce

In 1904, Vincent Lanza opened Lanza Funeral Home. While the world has changed in the 117 years since the businesses’ inception, one thing has not: Lanza Funeral Home is still a family business.  

More than a century later, Michael Lanza, great-grandson of Vincent, continues the family tradition. Not only did Michael Lanza carry on the family business, but he also assisted with its expansion.  

Operation of the Lanza Funeral Home, which was first located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, was passed down to Michael Lanza’s grandfather, Michael, and father, Anthony.  

It wasn’t until 1992 when Anthony and his life-long business partner, Lewis Rovegno, made their first foray into Staten Island by purchasing Colonial Funeral Home on Hylan Boulevard in New Dorp. The timing was perfect for Michael, a Monsignor Farrell graduate set to simultaneously graduate from St. John’s University and the American Academy McAllister Institute (AAMI) of Funeral Service, Inc. in 1994. 

“I didn’t even think about doing anything else,” Michael said. “I was fortunate that I was able to come to work every day with my dad. At 19-years-old, I had a lot more experience than most 19-year-olds because I grew up in the business. But I was fortunate to get that hands-on experience and training, and it just naturally progressed. It worked according to plan,” he added. “I didn’t have nervousness. I felt I was doing what I wanted to do and what I was meant to do. We were looking to take the business to the next level, and it seemed to work.”  

That “next level” for Colonial Funeral Home resulted in a significant facelift just one year later.  

“As the ‘90s came and the population on Staten Island exploded, the need came for more service. To really stay ahead and current to service people, the facility needed to be updated along with its capabilities,” said Lanza. “So, not only did we make the facility larger to accommodate the larger population, we made it modern and up to today’s times.” 

Following its initial upgrades, Colonial continued to evolve. The funeral home has been updated through the years with new rugs, décor, wallpaper, bathrooms, and exterior paint to remain clean and modern. Also, Colonial Funeral Home has been upgraded with the latest green technology -- including all LED lighting -- a fully generated facility in the event of power failure, the latest up-to-date user interactive website, a totally modern sanitizing HVAC system, and smart digital technology for funeral services, including digital signage with complete customization and celebration of life themes. 

Plus, the Lanza workforce expanded as the family grew. Michael’s wife, Joie, worked in a hair salon before transitioning into Colonial Funeral Home’s cosmetologist. Michael’s two sons, Michael Jr. and Anthony, have worked at Colonial Funeral Home since their early teens and graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology this past June and are expected to graduate from AAMI in 2022.  

“The funeral business is a way of life. It’s not a 9 to 5 job,” said Lanza. “The greatest thing I can say with me is that there are many days where I go to work, and my dad is there as well as my children and wife. There are times where someone can walk in and see three generations all in the same spot. I won’t say it’s impossible, but I would say across the United States that it’s pretty rare to walk into any type of business and see three generations all there working at the same time.” 

Lanza is also heavily involved in our local community. He has been an active board member for The GRACE Foundation since 2001, is currently the Foundation’s Chairman of the Board, and has co-chaired the gala, along with his wife, for the last 10 years. He is also a strong supporter of the Meals on Wheels, Project Hospitality, Monsignor Farrell High School, and the Knights of Columbus. 

A long-time supporter of the NYPD, the FDNY, and many Veterans groups, Lanza  has served as a member of Community Board 2 for the last 15 years and has been honored by The Knights of York, The Fisherman's Conservation Association, The Conservative Party, and St. John Villa Academy. He was honored with the Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award in the Established Business Category in 2012.   

Given his devotion to Staten Island, it should come as no surprise that Colonial Funeral Home and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce are celebrating a 25-year partnership in 2021.   

“In 1996, I was 21 years old, and at that point, we wanted to make as many connections and meet as many people and continue to have relationships,” said Lanza. “We were sort of the new guys – because our family was from Manhattan – so to come to the Chamber and adjust, we were welcomed with open arms. We’ve made a ton of great relationships and networking. It’s just been a great opportunity.”   

“With this business, you network, converse, and socialize with everyone. It’s a tight-knit community. And it just works well for us,” he added.