His mother died when he was 18 months old, so his grandmother, Eleanor, took him from Landisville to Italy to live and study.

At the time, his father and uncles operated a bakery on Harding Highway.

"If it wasn't for my grandmother, I probably would have been a baker," Mattioli said. "(But my aunt) was not well and felt the climate in Italy would help her. She took me along."

Mattioli excelled in his studies in Italy and became a physician.

He returned to Landisville in 1948 and started a medical practice that, 50 years later, made him a household name in Buena.

He'll be recognized for his half-century of community service through a testimonial dinner Nov. 30.

Borough Council also plans to name a street in his honor during a Saturday ceremony at Borough Hall.

Over his career, Mattioli delivered at least 2,000 babies and never gave a second thought to his patients' ability to pay.

"Before Blue Cross, we delivered babies in the house and sometimes in the office," recalled Mattioli, 84. "I always tried to treat people with respect."

Mattioli was a young doctor in 1960 with an office at Central and Summer avenues and a house on Harding Highway when his wife, Licia, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

The condition resulted in her incapacitation and his lifelong dedication to her. He did not want to be separated from his wife by distance.

"I knew that having someone at the house with her while I was at the office would not work," he said. "That's when we built our home next to the office. We've lived here ever since."

Mattioli's only grandson is an orthopedist. His daughters, Margaret and Marina, live in Buena, call each day and visit a couple of times a week. His stepbrother Elmer is a surgeon who still practices in Vineland. Another brother, Clarence, is an attorney in Hammonton.

Mattioli's only regret is never having known his mother.

"I feel like I've missed something," he said. "But my life has been blessed."

So have his patients, according to friends and family of those who Mattioli has treated.

"Thirty years ago, when my father was dying of cancer, Dr. Mattioli visited him in the hospital every day," said Borough Council President Joseph Baruffi. "He gave him comfort and gave him hope. He didn't have to do that, but that's the type of person he is."

Many Buena and Vineland residents remember Mattioli making house calls.

"He was our family doctor for years," said Councilman Joseph Santagata, the borough's former police chief. "I can remember him coming to the house carrying his black bag. He always had a smile on his face. He made people feel comfortable."

There are also testimonials from countless others such as Betty Testa, a borough resident and longtime friend.

Mattioli delivered Testa's first child. "He is a humble and generous man who worked seven days a week," Testa said. "He took care of people who could not pay, and he never complained about getting up in the middle of the night."