D'Esopo, F.P. (1917-2004 )

Dr. Ferdinand P. "Fred" D'Esopo was born in Utica, New York, on May 24, 1917, the son of Elizabeth Donato and John D'Esopo, a grocer. Fred had an active dental practice in Utica, New York and was a member of the Lion's Club. He married Theresa Barone in 1970 (she died in 2006).

D'Esopo was a good friend of William Pinch, having first met him during a visit with the Utica Club to see Pinch's collection. D'Esopo enlisted Pinch's aid in building a species collection of high-quality specimens, purchasing hundreds of specimens from him. The red "w.p." in the corner of some of D'Esopo's labels refers to specimens he obtained from Pinch. D'Esopo built a collection of about 3,000 specimens, but retired in 1999 due to Parkinson's Disease. He sold off his collection through Pinch before his death, and died in Utica on November 5, 2004.