35" by 40" framed. Gregory Perillo (1927 - 2021) was active/lived in New York, Florida. Gregory Perillo is known for Western genre, animal, sports, military and Indian portrait painting, sculpture. Following is an obituary of Gregory Perillo, compiled and submitted by the Perillo and Javaruski Families. WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST, SCULPTOR & PHILANTHROPIST GREGORY PERILLO (AKA CRAZY HORSE) PASSES AWAY March 10, 2021 Clearwater, Flordida World renowned artist and sculptor, Gregory Perillo, the last of the great American Western and Native American artists of the 20th century, passed away at his home in Clearwater, Florida, two days before his 94th birthday, surrounded by his loving family. His health had been declining during the last few months, but he still painted every day until 10 days ago. Mr. Perillo was born in Greenwich Village, NYC, on March 12, 1927, to Italian immigrant parents, Gregorio and Antionette Perillo (deceased). He moved to Staten Island at two years old and remained there until 2017 when he and his wife, Mary, moved to Clearwater, Florida to be close to their family. He grew up during the great depression and was poverty stricken as a boy. His interest in art began at age 4. Perillo’s affinity with Native Americans dates back to his boyhood days. His father, who avidly studied American History, entertained him with tales of the American West and the Indian Wars. As he listened, he would take a brush, dip it in espresso, and draw on brown paper bags that his mother ironed for him. Perillo and his father would visit museums and art galleries throughout NYC, especially the American Indian exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. The initial introduction grew into reverence through Perillo’s own reading and research, studying the customs, history and plight of the Native Americans. Greg attended P.S. 29 and McKee High School. A World War II veteran, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy at 17 years old and served in the South Pacific aboard the "U.S.S. Storm King" (AP-171), (his rendering of ‘Storm King is a part of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans). Upon returning from the war, he obtained his GED and attended the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art, a private institution for Italian Americans in Manhattan, for a year and a half. He then worked in the garment industry by day and attended evening art classes at Pratt Institute, The School of Visual Arts and The Art Students League of New York for his formal art education, using his benefits from the G.I. Bill. Perillo’s most productive learning experience was spawned from a visit to Sedona, Arizona in 1950, where he had a chance meeting with the legendary American master artist, William Robinson Leigh, one of the three most celebrated Western artists of the last century. In what became almost a father-son relationship, Leigh taught Perillo, his only private student, for several years. Perillo would spend countless hours at the Grand Central Art Galleries in N.Y.C., studying Leigh’s paintings. He would also visit Leigh’s studio on West 57th Street. Leigh inspired Perillo and their relationship would continue until Leigh’s death five years later in 1955. In 1947, he met and married the love of his life, Mary Venditti Perillo. They remained together for 73 years, until his death. He called her Wonder Woman and credited his success to her love, understanding and unwavering support. They became parents to two children, a daughter, Annette, and son, Stephen. Starting in the 1960s, Mr. Perillo’s artwork gained acclaim in many prestigious galleries throughout the country, including Wally Findlay Galleries in New York, Paris, France and Palm Beach, Florida; La Petite Gallery, Mandel, Norway; Chamisa Gallery, Taos, New Mexico; Overland Trail Galleries, Jacobson, Wyoming and Scottsdale, Arizona; Empire Art Gallery, Empire, Colorado and the Pritshard Gallery in Houston, Texas to name a few. Mr. Perillo’s artwork is presently in the permanent collections of 25 museums across the country. Over the years, he has been the recipient of many, many awards for his artwork and honored for his philanthropy. One of the proudest moments in his career was when he presented his painting, The Cowboy and His Lady, of President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, to them in October 1981. This painting is now in the permanent collection of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California. In June 1983, Perillo traveled to Berlin, West Germany to open his two-month long exhibition at the Hotel Steingenberger Gallery. On display were 45 paintings from his collection. The event was a part of the tricentennial celebration taking place in West Germany to commemorate American-German ties dating back to the initial 13 German families which sailed to the New World on the Mayflower in 1620. In 1990, American Express commissioned Perillo to paint over fifty oil paintings and sculpt two huge bronzes for its world headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. His work also adorned the corporate headquarters of AT&T, and the New York State Governor’s mansion in Albany. In 1991, Perillo was invited to the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, by the President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, and presented him with his extraordinary mural painting, Peaceable Kingdom: Nations at Rest. Mr. Gorbachev, on receiving the painting said to Mr. Perillo, "Please accept my everlasting gratitude for presenting me with your beautiful work of art, Peaceable Kingdom: Nations at Rest. A wonderful and inspiring symbol of peace between our two great nations.It was called, "an international monument to global harmony. It now hangs in the Kremlin and stands as an everlasting artistic symbol of peace in our time. Perillo was also an accomplished sculptor and created 9 major bronze pieces along with more than 30 others. In his later years, he donated his talents to creating bronze sculptures as tributes to Staten Islanders who died in the 9/11 attacks in NYC. Among them, Firefighter Stephen Siller, located at the New York Firefighter’s Academy on Randall’s Island, N.Y. Training Facility, Firefighter Joseph Maffeo, located at the Staten Island University Hospital, and The Spirit of 9/11 a tribute to the Sports coaches, managers and volunteers in sports leagues on Staten Island on the grounds of the Hilton Gardens Inn Other tribute bronzes adorning Staten Island are Vietnam War hero, Lt. Nick Lia, located at the Wagner College Stadium in S.I., Staten Island South Shore Little League player, Joseph Verdino, and Vietnam War hero, Staff Sargent Michael Ollis, located at the Petrides School, Staten Island, N.Y. as well as The Lenape Chief, located at Public School 62. His Bucking Bronco bronze, which is located on the grounds of the corporate offices of American Express, Phoenix, Arizona, St. Joseph’s Indian School and another at The Staten Island Riding Academy in S.I., N.Y. Mr. Perillo also branched out into other subject matters, including sports paintings and religious paintings. He designed two stained glass windows for the Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph’s & St. Thomas, on Staten Island: Saint Tekawitha, Lily of the Mohawks, and Moses of which the stained glass windows were produced in 1995. The St. Tekawitha window received the Bene Award by Modern Liturgy magazine’s religious publication’s 1997-98 Visual Arts Awards. In September 2012, Perillo, being a proud veteran, made a major donation of 42 paintings, and one bronze, to the Vietnam Era Museum & Education Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. At age 93, his recent painting finished in 2019, Crazy Horse was accepted to the Indian Museum of the North America in South Dakota, and added to their permanent collection. The museum is located at the famous Crazy Horse Memorial, sculpted out of a mountain by master sculptor, Zorczak Ziolkowski, in Crazy Horse, South Dakota. Over the years, he appeared on numerous magazine covers including, Plate World, Old West, Frontier Times, County Life, and many other Western magazines. Several hard cover books have been written about Mr. Perillo, most notably, Perillo Artist of the American West (1981), Gregory Perillo and the Masters of American Western Art (1990) and Gregory Perillo: Canvas Playing Fields (1995). In his younger years, Perillo was a Staten Island Little League coach and manager, teaching and enjoying his son and his teammates. In later years, he would practice with his grandson, Billy, eventually painting his portrait playing as a Little Leaguer – The Slugger. It now hangs in The World of Little League: Peter J. McGovern Museum in South Williamsport, Pa. When he wasn’t painting, he was a great NY Yankees fan, watching every game. His idol was Joe DiMaggio, and he was thrilled to meet and speak with him several times during his life. He was also a great boxing fan and shared stories of when he met boxing legend, Jack Dempsey. Greg also loved dancing so much that had a dance floor built in his home, complete with a sound system, lighting and smoke, hosting many parties. Mr. Perillo was pre-deceased by his two sisters, Lucy Perillo Buttermark and Mary Perillo Melia. He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years, Mary Venditti Perillo; two children: Annette Perillo Javaruski of Clearwater, Fl (son-in-law Stephen J.Javaruski), and Stephen Perillo of Palm Harbor, Fl, (daughter-in-law, Janet Galante Perillo); his five grandchildren: William (Billy) Perillo, Christina Perillo Williams (husband John Williams), Stephanie Perillo, Stephen G. Javaruski and Laura Perillo; and 7 month old great-granddaughter, Ava Williams, who was the light of his life. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Allard Auction Collection Inv: AX