For Michael Longobardi, Floral Park means family. Born and raised in the village, he has been a trustee since 2022 and public service is in his DNA.
Longobardi said he is the third in his family to serve at Village Hall. His uncle, Frank Lauria, served as mayor in the 1980s, and his brother, Dominick Longobardi, was mayor until 2021, when Kevin Fitzgerald took over.
Outside of the board, Longobardi runs a private accounting practice, just a stone’s throw from Village Hall. He said that in college, he had considered joining a big firm and working in the city, but an opportunity to work close to family and home was hard to pass up.
“I grew up with 12 cousins within three blocks. My family was always together,” Longobardi said. “It was always family. And Floral Park, to me, is the same thing. It’s home, it’s family.”
He said the village has always been a great place to live. He grew up playing Little League at the park, going to the village pool every summer, and eventually decided to raise his family here.
Longobardi’s family has stayed close. His brother and extended family remain in the village, and he lives with his wife, Patricia, their two twin children, Michael and Andrea, 28, and his father.
“We kept the family close,” he said. “We have everything here to have a wonderful family experience. We grow up, take care of our kids, we have a full-service village. It’s just home to me, and I want to keep it that way.”
He said his service on the village board was a natural goal. He is a former chief and assistant chief of the Floral Park Fire Department and has worked as an accountant in a private practice for 37 years.
He is running for re-election this year, with voting scheduled for March 18.
“I’ve learned more of the inner workings of the village board,” he said. “As much as I thought I knew, you don’t realize how much truly goes on behind the scenes and how much you need to learn to be successful.”
He said he hopes to be re-elected to continue serving the community.
“My years of experience with finance and accounting are a big plus. That’s something that I bring to the board and the village,” he said. “I hope to continue that going forward.”
Longobardi said that over the years, Floral Park has seen some changes, as has the rest of the world, but its community spirit has remained strong.
“The core of the village has really stayed the same, which is what has kept it a very desirable place.”
He said his devotion to public service runs deep and was instilled in his whole family by a love for their shared home.
“It’s something that I truly enjoy. I have cousins in the police department, in the fire department. My family and I enjoy doing this,” he said. “We love the village and we love keeping it as great as it can be.”
