LAWRENCEVILLE – Alfred Frederick DeStefano died Sept. 21 at the Fuld campus of the Capital Health System in Trenton.
Born in the 1920s, he was raised in Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, N.Y. and survived polio as a child.
He worked for the Works Progress Administration and, although he could not be enlisted in the armed forces during World War II, he served as a big-rig driver, a chauffeur for military brass, and in other positions at the Kittatinny Arsenal. He also served as a supervisor of Italian prisoners of war.
He loved jazz and played drums for the Louis Prima band. He also was a pit drummer at the Empire Burlesque in Newark, and sat in for Coleman Hawkins when he played in Newark.
He loved classic cars and classic movies; played baseball; studied the news; and grew plants.
For more than 30 years he was a well-known figure on Nassau Street in Princeton, first as the manager of Varsity Sports and, after he retired, as the proprietor of Princeton Area Town Taxi. He also served as the president of the Princeton Taxi Drivers Association
Predeceased by parents Helen (nee Lewis) and Joseph DeStefano, and a sister and brother who died in childhood, he is survived by wife Marjorie (nee Kapelsohn) DeStefano of Lawrenceville; son Joseph DeStefano of East Windsor; a sister; stepsons Joshua Weiner and Dr. Michael Weiner; and seven grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Poulson and Van Hise Funeral Directors, Lawrenceville.
The family requests that memorial donations be sent to HomeFront Inc., 1880 Princeton Ave., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.

