Venditto Inducted as the 59th Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor
The Town of Oyster Bay held their induction ceremony at 2 p.m. on Jan. 5, in the hearing room, an hour after the first meeting of 2010. John Venditto was inducted into office as the 59th Oyster Bay Town Supervisor.
In addressing the audience, Venditto said he would do the same thing he has been doing for the past 12 years and plans to do for the next two [his term of office]. “This administration for the past 12 years has been listening to our residents and doing the right thing by our residents and will continue to listen and do the right thing,” he said.
Town Councilman Joseph Muscarella acted as the master of ceremonies and Venditto dubbed it the “Joseph Muscarella show” as his humor added to the event.
Each board member was then introduced, sworn in and said a few words.
Town Clerk Steve Labriola said from the podium, “It’s a good year for Republicans. The people of the town have spoken loudly.” He praised Venditto saying, “He is the Robert Moses of Oyster Bay – or just Moses. You may not be able to part the Red Sea but you can do it with the help of me and the board members.” Later, Venditto said it could be done by the town workforce.
Labriola thanked the women in his life – his daughter Gina is attending SUNY Cortland, Lisa is in 11th grade and on the varsity soccer team, and his wife of 24 years, Cindy.
Councilman Joe Pinto was introduced by Judge Angelo Delligatti, a former town supervisor who knew him as his son’s soccer coach and as a Village of Massapequa Park trustee. Pinto said, “Serving on the town board is a dream come true.” His wife Janice and sons Joseph and Matthew stood with him as he was inducted. Their son Vincent,was not in attendance. Pinto had been appointed to replace then-Councilman Delligatti when he left to become a judge.
When Judge Delligatti introduced Councilwoman Elizabeth Faughnan, he said he met her in 1985 when she was a college student working to get Supervisor Joseph Colby elected. At the time he recognized her as having that something special.
Faughnan, an attorney, took a special tack in her induction. She brought three of her nieces to the podium to hold the bible for her oath of office ceremony: Caroline, Lisa and Grace. A Locust Valley resident, she said, “My parents moved here because it was the cheapest house for a family with a fourth child.” She said they found that it was a great place to live. Her father John Faughnan worked for the county and is a former Commander of the Locust Valley American Legion.
Faughnan said bringing her nieces with her represented the fact that the work the town board does is meant for them – for the next generation of residents. She said of her four years on the town board: “We all work very hard.” She said looking out into the audience she saw many faces of people that she has worked with over those years to solve multiple problems. She said, “The years go by so quickly. They are about doing the right thing for the residents.”
Chris Coshignano came up with his young family: wife Elisabetta and children Isabella, Angelo and baby Luca. Coshignano introduced members of his immediate family including his mother Josephine, and mentioned that his father died a year ago and they were sad that he was missing this event. He introduced his in-laws, and his cousins who were attending. He also thanked the Conservative and Independent parties who aided in his election. He added, “John governs in a way to keep Oyster Bay a great place to live.” He looked toward Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano seated in the audience and said, “Ed you are an inspiration to all of us – and Linda.”
County Executive Edward Mangano took the podium saying it was truly an honor. He called Supervisor Venditto a good friend and a great leader. Mangano said he inherited a county with fiscal, moral and functional problems. He said when he thinks of how to do it, he will look at what Venditto has done.
“What a wonderful town Oyster Bay is to live and work in. My plan is simply to have Nassau County look like the Town of Oyster Bay and the Town of Hempstead,” said Mangano. “We’re going to do it the Oyster Bay way. He’s made us proud. I’ll make the county look like Oyster Bay.” He said to the supervisor, “Be ready to answer your phone, and I know he will.”
It was time for Supervisor John Venditto to be inducted and he got a standing ovation. Venditto, who served as town attorney, said over the years he second-guessed Supervisors Yevoli and Delligatti. “More so Lew, than Angelo. I really have much respect for anyone who sits in that chair. It is one heck of an honor and one heck of a job.”
Venditto ended with thanking his wife of 32 years, Christine; and his sons Michael and Nicholas and daughter Joanna, a reporter who was out of town on assignment. He too thanked Joe Mondello for reaching out to him and said he was sorry he was not there. He thanked the Republican executive leaders who he said, don’t get the credit they deserve. He thanked the Conservative, Independent and Working Families parties that helped him in the election and said, “The door is always open to you.”
He praised the workforce; and Richie Betz, commissioner of the Department of Highways for his help in keeping the streets clean, as they did on New Year’s Eve although other towns didn’t. He credited former Town Councilman Leonard “The Weatherman” Simons for his great weather forecasts. He honored volunteer firefighters, the police department naming the officers including Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey. He thanked the outside vendors who do work for the town. He thanked the labor leaders in the crowd. He thanked his town family, his secretary Angela and his staff. And, he thanked the labor leaders attending.
He asked veterans to stand for recognition. He added there were very few civic leaders in the audience and said that was wrong, that they deserved to be there too.
