Ralph A. Martinelli, vice president of the publishing company Today Media, died Nov. 2 at the age of 57. Â He was the group publisher of Westchester, Hudson Valley, Westchester Home, Westchester/Hudson Valley Weddings and 914INC magazines. He was a resident of Ossining.
Martinelli died from complications of a previous medical procedure, according to a family member. He was one of six sons of former Yonkers Mayor Angelo Martinelli, who served six terms from 1974 to 1987. Ralph A. Martinelli was a graduate of Iona Prep School and majored in communications at Regis College in Denver.
In a 2012 column appearing in Hudson Valley magazine, Martinelli reminisced about his father having started that publication in 1972. He said he had fond memories of working at the family”™s printing plant in Yonkers, Gazette Press, which had been in operation since the late 1940s. He recalled that his father would take him and his brothers to the printing plant on School Street near Getty Square every Saturday where they would do everything from sweeping the floors to working on print jobs. He said that he eventually worked his way up to the bindery department.
Even after graduating from college, he still helped out at the printing plant. He said he worked at a few restaurants and eventually got a real estate license, but was drawn back to Hudson Valley magazine, becoming involved with circulation and eventually becoming its advertising manager.
His brother Robert F. Martinelli is CEO and president of Today Media, while his brother Richard J. Martinelli is the company”™s secretary and treasurer.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “Martinelli grew up in Westchester”™s publishing business. He took a company, started by his father, and grew it into what it is today along with his two brothers. The county certainly pauses when Westchester magazine hits the mailboxes, and the events he started in Westchester are always the buzz of the county. We will always remember him for the visionary he was.”
Ralph A. Martinelli previously had been active on Twitter, using it in part to call attention to events being produced by Westchester magazine. On April 17, 2018, he posted a photo of himself with Eric Trump and reported they had done a photo shoot for the June issue of the publication. Just after the November 2016 election, he posted a photo of himself with Donald Trump, which had been taken at the Trump National Golf Course”™s opening party in 2002.
On Facebook, he had said that he enjoyed the music of Steely Dan and one of his favorite books was “Hudson Valley Chef”™s Table,” which had recipes from leading chefs along with photos of the finished dishes.
Martinelli was a member of the board of directors of ArtsWestchester, the nonprofit which advocates for the arts in the county. He also partnered with the Food Bank for Westchester, now operating as Feeding Westchester, to help in its mission. Biographical information published by Today Media said that he directed support and contributions to more than 200 Westchester charities each year.
The family requested donations to ArtsWestchester or Feeding Westchester in lieu of flowers. Visitation was scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Waterbury & Kelly Funeral Home in Briarcliff Manor, with funeral services on Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at St. Theresa”™s in Briarcliff Manor.
