Joseph Del Duca

Joseph Del Duca of Palm Beach Gardens FL, passed away on May 26, 2024 at 92 years old. Joe was born on October 15th, 1931, in The Bronx, New York City, to Rose (Patti) Del Duca and Dominic Del Duca, who were both proud first-generation Italian Americans. Joe was the oldest of four children and was imbued with a splendid work ethic and dedication to education as a means to a better life for his family. He excelled in school at an early age and was offered admission to Peter Stuyvesant High School in New York City, the most prestigious competitive entrance public high school in NYC. He graduated near the top of his class in 1949. He then was admitted to Manhattan College in NYC where he studied accounting, graduating with honors in 1953. He served his country in the U.S Army during the Korean War from 1953 to 1955 earning the rank of Sergeant in less than 2 years. He was sent to the paratroopers as well as a tank brigade before being asked to use his accounting skills as a supply sergeant. On October 29, 1955 he married Rita Ferraro and together they raised four children. Subsequent to his military service, Joe was recruited to Haskins & Sells, one of the top firms in what was then the Big Eight accounting firms. He rose rapidly through the ranks specializing in auditing large Wall Street companies. Joe was recruited by one of his clients, Shearson Hammill & Co., to direct the internal audit department and create a ground breaking compliance operation. At that time, Shearson was among the most respected and successful private securities firms on Wall Street. Once again, Joe excelled and was made a full partner. After the dark days for Wall Street of 1973 and 1974, Shearson Hammill merged with Hayden Stone, run by Sanford Weill, to form Shearson Hayden Stone. Even though Joe was with the acquired firm, Weill kept Joe as the head of compliance and internal audit. Joe survived 12 mergers over the next 15 years and was always retained as the head of the departments. Joe became the best known and most influential compliance officer on Wall Street. He was respected by the head of every exchange and every Regulator and they frequently sought out his opinions and advice. In the firm he was a legend. Many feared his fierce pursuit of finding the truth and holding people accountable, but everyone respected his reputation for fairness. They frequently referred to him as “Tougher Than The Law.” His employees were all raving fans and incredibly loyal. In 1993, when American Express sold Shearson to The Traveler’s, separating it from the combined Shearson Leman Brothers, Joe was recruited by Lehman Brothers and stayed there until his retirement in 1994. Joe continued to consult for other firms and served as an expert witness in securities litigation. He was also recruited by the NASD and NYSE as an arbitrator. After retiring Joe fell in love with the links and became an avid golfer. He could do the NYT Crossword Puzzle to completion each time and loved to play cards with his grandchildren and taught them to play poker like card sharks. He was the ultimate Giants fan through every up and down and wore his Giants jacket more times, and to more occasions, than his family even wants to remember. He is survived by his children Lynn (Paul) Ingrassia, Sue (Bob) Matthews, Paul Del Duca, Andrea (Bill) Cohane, granddaughters Sarah (Jeff), Ryan, Claire, Jenne (Ben), Corey, Samantha and Sofia, as well as great granddaughters Olivia and Grace and his dear friend and partner of 15 years, Dr. Jeanne Rodman. He is predeceased by his wife Rita and granddaughter Taylor Matthews. A private service will be held for family and friends at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Scarsdale, NY on June 10th. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Taylor Matthews Foundation at the following link https://taylormatthewsfoundation.org/ or the charity of your choice.

Joseph Del Duca

October 15, 1931 - May 26, 2024