Navy veteran, retired insurance broker known for work ethic, volunteerism

Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes.

Bill Tuscano didn’t look forward to idle time.

He retired in 1992, leaving the Greensburg insurance brokerage firm he’d built to the next generation of his family. But, at 65, he wasn’t ready to rest on his laurels.

“He needed something to do, so he started to do auctions, and he needed a place to sell his stuff,” said daughter Jinny Tuscano, now chief operating officer of W.N. Tuscano Agency.

Having moved from Greensburg to Ligonier, he purchased a nearby gas station and bait shop along Route 30 at Longbridge. Known for selling cups of coffee for 5 cents, Tuscano continued to operate the shop through the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic.

His death on Aug. 28, 2020, at 93, brought to a close a varied career marked by a strong work ethic, an interest in public service and a unique approach to life. That life is honored along Greensburg’s Pennsylvania Avenue, where an image of Tuscano during his early adult stint in the Navy is displayed on one of the city’s Hometown Hero banners.

Tuscano “looked to do things a little bit differently because it would make people remember you,” his daughter said.

After he turned 50, he got a BMW motorcycle and began riding it for business and pleasure.

“He would visit customers on his motorcycle, and they would remember when he pulled up,” Jinny Tuscano said. “He and my youngest brother, Rob, who is in the business with me, used to go to national insurance conventions on their motorcycles.”

Traveling was a frequent factor in Bill Tuscano’s life. He was born on his family’s apple orchard near Milford but, when the Great Depression forced them to give it up, moved with them across the state to Greensburg’s Hilltop neighborhood.

He graduated from Greensburg High School, enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and left for a tour of duty in the Far East, as World War II was drawing to a close.

His daughter said, “He shipped out for a few months as part of peacekeeping forces, but he got rheumatic fever and was discharged.”

Tuscano attended Waynesburg College, through the G.I. Bill. After marrying in 1948, he began working as a truck driver to support a family that would grow to include six children.

“He used to do runs from Pittsburgh to New York City to pick up produce,” Jinny Tuscano said. “Then he switched to making deliveries for Sun Oil, to be more local and available for his family.

“He was a family guy. Nothing could break that bond of family first.”

Bill Tuscano also was active in the local Republican party in an era when Democrats dominated the political scene in Westmoreland County.

He was elected to a two-year term in the state House, in 1967-68. But he lost his reelection bid and a later run for Congress to two popular Democrats — Amos K. Hutchinson and Jack Murtha, respectively.

Tuscano “liked being the underdog,” said his daughter. “He was OK with it. He was passionate about politics and was engaged in the process.”

Though Tuscano’s career in politics didn’t last, he set out on the road to success in the insurance field. He secured a position at Westmoreland Casualty Insurance Co., which motivated him in 1970 to start his own insurance agency.

“He started it from scratch, on the front porch of our house,” Jinny Tuscano said. “He worked super hard to build the business. He showed up to work at 5 a.m., and he would go back after dinner.”

Bill Tuscano still found time to reach out and help others beyond his family circle. A member of St. Michael’s of the Valley Episcopal Church, he participated in mission trips to Agua Viva Children’s Home in Guatemala. He also volunteered with Meals on Wheels.

“He was always a giving person,” his daughter said.