If you spend enough time around the diner counters or the old brick neighborhoods of Utica, New York, you’ll hear names that carry a certain weight. Local legends. The kind of people whose stories get tangled up in the city's blue-collar history. Honestly, when people search for John DeCarlo Utica NY, they are usually looking for one of two very different legacies.
One is a story of grit and local fame; the other is a quiet, family-centered life that ended too soon.
Utica is a small enough town that a name can belong to a dozen people, but it’s big enough that the details matter. Let’s get into what really happened with the man often called "Johnny Button Shoes" and why his name still pops up in conversation nearly two decades after he passed away.
The Man Known as "Johnny Button Shoes"
Most locals who remember the name John DeCarlo think of John A. DeCarlo, Jr. He was a fixture in the city, born and raised right here. He wasn't some distant corporate figure. He was a T.R. Proctor High School guy who grew up in the heart of Utica on the city's East Side.
You’ve probably heard the nicknames. "Johnny Button Shoes." The "Mayor of Utica." Later on, his friends even called him "Danny DeVito" because of his stature and personality. It’s the kind of local color you don't find in big cities. He wasn't a literal mayor, obviously, but he had that way about him—knowing everyone, shaking every hand, and always having a joke ready to go.
John worked at the Utica Cutlery Co. for years. If you have an old set of steak knives in your drawer, there’s a decent chance he had a hand in making them. Later, he moved on to the Pyramid Corporation before retiring. But his "real" job, according to anyone who knew him, was being a father and a grandfather.
He passed away in 2007 at Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare, leaving behind a massive family. We’re talking six kids and sixteen grandchildren. When he died, the local response was huge because he represented a specific era of Utica—the hard-working, Army-veteran, family-first generation that defined the Mohawk Valley for decades.
Clearing Up the Confusion: The "Other" John DeCarlo
Here is where things get kinda messy on the internet. Because the name is so common in New York, search results for John DeCarlo Utica NY often pull up a much darker story from downstate.
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There was another John DeCarlo—a maintenance worker for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). His story is tragic. In 1997, he was shot and killed at the Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn. It was a case of mistaken identity; a teenager thought DeCarlo had called the cops about a dog.
Why does this matter for Utica?
Because every year, the NYCHA gives out the "John DeCarlo Memorial Award" for exemplary service. When news reports about this award hit the wires, people in Central New York often see the name and wonder if it’s the same guy from their neighborhood.
It’s not.
The Brooklyn John DeCarlo was a hero in his own right—he had 250 days of unused vacation time because he was so dedicated to his building—but he wasn't the Utica native.
Why the Utica Legacy Sticks Around
People in Utica don't let go of their history easily. The city has a "degrees of separation" problem—basically, everyone is cousins with everyone. John A. DeCarlo, Jr. wasn't just a name in an obituary; he was a link to the city's industrial past.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1966. This was during the Vietnam era, a time that shaped the tough, no-nonsense attitude of many local men. When he came home and married Paulette Peters in 1971, they became part of the fabric of the St. Mary of Mt. Carmel parish.
If you want to understand the vibe of John DeCarlo Utica NY, you have to look at how he measured success. He didn't have a skyscraper named after him. He didn't run for office. He measured it in "family values and personal relationships." In a city that has seen its share of economic struggles, that kind of sentiment resonates. It’s why his kids still post public tributes to him on his birthday, calling him the man who would "steal their cheese" and make them laugh.
Common Misconceptions
- "He was a politician": No, the "Mayor" title was purely honorary, given by friends who saw him as the most social guy in the room.
- "He’s the one the award is named after": No, that’s the NYCHA worker from Brooklyn.
- "He was a famous actor": There is a Professor John DeCarlo at Hofstra who was a professional actor, but he isn't the Utica John.
Real Insights for Local Researchers
If you are digging into family history or trying to track down the DeCarlo lineage in Oneida County, you have to be specific. The DeCarlo family has deep roots in Utica, New Hartford, and Whitesboro.
Honestly, the best way to get the "real" story isn't just through a search engine. It’s through the archives of the Utica Observer-Dispatch or by visiting the local parish records. John’s life was lived in the physical world—at the factory, the church, and the kitchen table.
The legacy of John DeCarlo Utica NY is really a story about the American dream in a small-city context. It’s about a guy who served his country, worked in the local factories that built the region, and spent the rest of his time making sure his sixteen grandkids knew they were loved.
What You Should Do Next
- Check the specific dates: If the info you're looking at mentions Brooklyn or a 1997 death, you’re looking at the NYCHA worker. If it mentions 2007 and New Hartford, that’s the local Utica legend.
- Look for the nicknames: Documentation referencing "Johnny Button Shoes" is the definitive way to identify the Utica-specific John DeCarlo.
- Verify with local archives: The Oneida County Historical Society often has more nuanced records on families like the DeCarlos than what you'll find on a generic "people finder" site.
- Connect with the parish: St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Parish remains the best place to find historical context for families from that specific East Utica era.