Joseph C. Marcello, a businessman and landowner who built a Jefferson Parish real estate empire and a reputation as a quiet philanthropist, has died.
His death, on Sept. 17, was confirmed by his family, who declined to disclose the cause. He was 83.
Marcello amassed a real estate portfolio of thousands of acres of land across the region, including the Metairie Centre office building near Interstate 10, Pier 90 Marina in St. Charles Parish and the site of the John Alario Jr. Sports Complex, set to open soon.
Marcello also participated in some of the biggest land transfers in the West Bank’s history, including the donation of land for Avondale’s Churchill Technology and Business Park — where government agencies spent tens of millions of dollars developing the Jefferson Economic Development Commission’s headquarters and conference center, the Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy and Delgado Community College’s River City campus.
Marcello’s family owned much of the land on the West Bank in the Avondale area for decades. His father was Carlos Marcello, reputed to be the head of the New Orleans mafia.
Though his father, who died in 1993, was well-known for his alleged underworld associations, Joseph C. Marcello stayed out of the spotlight and distanced himself from organized crime.
“My name is Marcello, and I’m going to live with that the rest of my life,” he said while testifying in a civil lawsuit in 1997, when Jefferson Parish was trying to close his landfill. “But I’ve never been arrested and I’ve never been charged with anything.”
In a 1995 letter to The Times-Picayune, he said his extended family included over 200 people who were “business and professional people, students and housewives. We work hard, pay our taxes and are responsible members of our communities.”
“Like other Americans, we have a moral and legal right to be judged as individuals,” the letter read.
Restaurants, Motorsports Park
Born in 1942, Marcello attended Holy Cross High School and the University of New Orleans. His early career included ownership of several prominent businesses, including Broussard’s Restaurant in the French Quarter, Pelican Tomato Co. and Bubba’s Produce. He also became an owner of Mosca’s, the famed Italian restaurant near Westwego.
In more recent decades, his focus shifted to real estate, particularly his holdings in the Avondale area. He sold the tract of land where developer Laney Chouest built the $70 million NOLA Motorsports Park facility.
Then in 2016, he sold over 1,000 acres of land to the West Jefferson Levee District for $13.5 million, which the agency used to plant trees to fortify the area against storms. Last year, he sold another 50 acres in the Fairfield area to a landscape architect from St. Rose.
Soon, Jefferson Parish will finish work on an outdoor recreation complex for competitive youth sports on $3.1 million of land bought by the state from Marcello, which officials hope will provide a shot in the arm for economic growth in the area.
“With every real estate move, he (Marcello) didn’t just ask if it made economic sense. He asked if it was good for the community,” said Mike Sherman, his attorney. “If it didn’t meet both of those tests, he wouldn’t do the deal.”
Those who knew Marcello described him as quiet and humble, even when it came to his philanthropic ventures — a man who “wasn’t looking for attention” and “didn’t want any awards,” said his real estate broker Don Randon.
“The guy had a great sense of business,” Randon said. “He was an honorable, professional, ethical, talented businessman … We were great friends, and I terribly miss him.”
Marcello is survived by his wife of 45 years, Gail McCarley Marcello; his sons, Carlos, Steven and Deano Marcello; and his daughter, Dayna Marcello Morvant, who Sherman said will take over the business for her father.
He is also survived by his grandson, Jake Morvant; and his sisters, Louis Hampton, Florence Black and Jacqueline Dugas.
Visitation for friends and family will take place at 9 a.m. Friday at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home with a service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be private.