Allstate Insurance - Celeste Gullo
When you think of visible business people in the North Shore community who also do good deeds and are always trying to help others, chances are, you think of Celeste Gullo.
After moving to Long Island from Queens when she was in the eighth grade, Gullo’s family made their life in Manhasset. She lived there until she met her eventual husband, Vinny, who lived in Glen Cove -- where they decided to settle.
“I always say I’m from the city,” Gullo said.”
But Gullo wasted no time in making an impact on the surrounding North Shroe community through both her business as well as her community-oriented conscience. While she wanted to start her own Allstate agency in Glen Cove, the insurance company indicated that too many Allstate offices were already located in Glen Cove. Luckily for Gullo, a longtime Allstate agent with an office in Glen Head was, at the time, preparing to move to Florida. Gullo bought that agency, originally located near Bottle Buys on Glen Head Road, moved up the road and opened in January 2016.
“There was just no other way to do it except to work for myself,” Gullo said. “It should always be the natural progression. It’s mine! I’d have to sell it if I left. It’s something my children can take over.”
Gullo moved up the ladder to Agency Owner with Allstate after starting her journey with the company at just 18 years old.
“I was part of a team in Roslyn, scanning and faxing and answering phones,” Gullo recalled. “I worked there for 13 years, and then another for five years, and another for three years.”
While she maintained her loyalty to Allstate, Gullo worked for a different company for a brief period of time. “I had to keep trying to find my fit,” she explained. “When I came back, I had a greater appreciation for this company.”
In her agency today just as on its opening day in 2016, Gullo strives to provide unparalleled customer service. “I want people to have the feeling they get when they walk into Disney World,” she said.
Gullo offers all personal and commercial lines policies, but places a particular focus on policies that affect the lives of families -- the house, the cars, the kids and life insurance. Additionally, she also offers products based in retirement needs, 401K rollover, disability insurance and investment planning.
However, when asked what sets her agency apart from other insurance agencies offering similar products, her answer was enthusiastic: her team, made up of Kai Hui, Katherine Kearney, Meagan Kearney and Mario Marin.
“They are the people who answer the phone every day, six days a week, until 6pm,” Gullo said. “They go over discounts and renewals. Kai does life insurance and financial services. Katherine came to me through an ad on LinkedIn, and her daughter Meagan does what I did when I was 18. Mario does our photo inspections, answers billing questions and helps with claims. We’ve had some crazy claim situations and we’re helping people. You don’t get a team like this other places.”
One aspect of the insurance industry that agents deal with, by and large, is the issue of price. Consumers grow frustrated with rate increases and often place their coverage based on price along. Gullo, however, touts education, as well as her team’s exceptional customer service and attention to detail, as antidotes to customer concerns surrounding rates.
“We are extremely competitive,” she explained. “We do lose people for rates, but they come back. We lose so few compared to how much new we put on. We try to educate people and explain that rates change as we get older. Your home rate is going to change because the cost to replace it changes. Out of approximately 2,900 clients, we, at this point, have less than a dozen who call regularly about rates.”
Within the community, Gullo is a member of North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association and the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce. However, she is most well-known in our community for her charity and goodwill projects.
“My favorite projects are food drives,” Gullo said. “My dad grew up in poverty. He always had a fear of returning to it, and [as a child] he would take me into the city to give food to the homeless.”
While Gullo maintains that she is “from the city,” her roots are firmly planted on the North Shore. “I just love the location and the people -- but the people first,” Gullo said. “If you need something, you can go online and say, ‘I need formula,’ and ten people would offer it. If I was ever stuck, I could log on to social media and trust the person who volunteered to help. And our community is diverse. I’m happy to raise my kids here.”
Allstate Insurance – Celeste Gullo
60 Glen Head Road
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 466-2111
[email protected]
https://agents.allstate.com/celeste-gullo-glen-head-ny.html
Facebook: facebook.com/GulloAllstate
After moving to Long Island from Queens when she was in the eighth grade, Gullo’s family made their life in Manhasset. She lived there until she met her eventual husband, Vinny, who lived in Glen Cove -- where they decided to settle.
“I always say I’m from the city,” Gullo said.”
But Gullo wasted no time in making an impact on the surrounding North Shroe community through both her business as well as her community-oriented conscience. While she wanted to start her own Allstate agency in Glen Cove, the insurance company indicated that too many Allstate offices were already located in Glen Cove. Luckily for Gullo, a longtime Allstate agent with an office in Glen Head was, at the time, preparing to move to Florida. Gullo bought that agency, originally located near Bottle Buys on Glen Head Road, moved up the road and opened in January 2016.
“There was just no other way to do it except to work for myself,” Gullo said. “It should always be the natural progression. It’s mine! I’d have to sell it if I left. It’s something my children can take over.”
Gullo moved up the ladder to Agency Owner with Allstate after starting her journey with the company at just 18 years old.
“I was part of a team in Roslyn, scanning and faxing and answering phones,” Gullo recalled. “I worked there for 13 years, and then another for five years, and another for three years.”
While she maintained her loyalty to Allstate, Gullo worked for a different company for a brief period of time. “I had to keep trying to find my fit,” she explained. “When I came back, I had a greater appreciation for this company.”
In her agency today just as on its opening day in 2016, Gullo strives to provide unparalleled customer service. “I want people to have the feeling they get when they walk into Disney World,” she said.
Gullo offers all personal and commercial lines policies, but places a particular focus on policies that affect the lives of families -- the house, the cars, the kids and life insurance. Additionally, she also offers products based in retirement needs, 401K rollover, disability insurance and investment planning.
However, when asked what sets her agency apart from other insurance agencies offering similar products, her answer was enthusiastic: her team, made up of Kai Hui, Katherine Kearney, Meagan Kearney and Mario Marin.
“They are the people who answer the phone every day, six days a week, until 6pm,” Gullo said. “They go over discounts and renewals. Kai does life insurance and financial services. Katherine came to me through an ad on LinkedIn, and her daughter Meagan does what I did when I was 18. Mario does our photo inspections, answers billing questions and helps with claims. We’ve had some crazy claim situations and we’re helping people. You don’t get a team like this other places.”
One aspect of the insurance industry that agents deal with, by and large, is the issue of price. Consumers grow frustrated with rate increases and often place their coverage based on price along. Gullo, however, touts education, as well as her team’s exceptional customer service and attention to detail, as antidotes to customer concerns surrounding rates.
“We are extremely competitive,” she explained. “We do lose people for rates, but they come back. We lose so few compared to how much new we put on. We try to educate people and explain that rates change as we get older. Your home rate is going to change because the cost to replace it changes. Out of approximately 2,900 clients, we, at this point, have less than a dozen who call regularly about rates.”
Within the community, Gullo is a member of North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association and the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce. However, she is most well-known in our community for her charity and goodwill projects.
“My favorite projects are food drives,” Gullo said. “My dad grew up in poverty. He always had a fear of returning to it, and [as a child] he would take me into the city to give food to the homeless.”
While Gullo maintains that she is “from the city,” her roots are firmly planted on the North Shore. “I just love the location and the people -- but the people first,” Gullo said. “If you need something, you can go online and say, ‘I need formula,’ and ten people would offer it. If I was ever stuck, I could log on to social media and trust the person who volunteered to help. And our community is diverse. I’m happy to raise my kids here.”
Allstate Insurance – Celeste Gullo
60 Glen Head Road
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 466-2111
[email protected]
https://agents.allstate.com/celeste-gullo-glen-head-ny.html
Facebook: facebook.com/GulloAllstate
Cartagine Chiropractic & Wellness
Dr Rosemarie Cartagine
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Story by Gracie Donaldson
Dr. Rosemarie Cartagine did not enter the working world with the end goal of becoming a chiropractor -- she had other ideas about how to pursue her passion of helping others.
With an undergraduate degree in social work, Cartagine worked a variety of jobs in the field, including a position at Cardinal McClusky’s Child and Family Services in the Bronx, and as a house manager at a group home for adults with developmental challenges in Massachusetts. Her introduction to chiropractic care came after a co-worker at the group home injured herself, visited a chiropractor and received a gift certificate for a complimentary visit. Cartagine was gifted the certificate for the free visit and decided to give it a try.
“I had some symptoms -- pain in the shoulder, fatigue, seasonal allergies,” she explained. “I thought that was part of aging and I was 23 at the time! I started chiropractic care and those things cleared up or went away.”
However, Cartagine’s personal success story with chiropractic care was not her only experience witnessing its benefits. A resident with epilepsy and hemi-paresis, who lived in one of the group homes where Cartagine worked, experienced results which bordered on miraculous.
“We would literally go through a pair of shoes every month because she would drag her foot,” Cartagine explained. “After a short while, she swung her leg around and had more use of her arm. She ate and brushed her teeth more easily, and she was more alert and speaking better. Between my results and her dramatic improvements, I became interested in chiropractic as a career.”
With a desire to change her career already on her mind, Cartagine completed her Doctorate in Chiropractic in 1988 from New York Chiropractic College, where in 2011 she’d go on to earn her Master of Science degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition.
“In high school, I didn’t go beyond the required biology course!” Cartagine said. “I didn’t have to take science classes for a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work. Prior to applying to chiropractic college I had to complete three year-long science prerequisite courses.”
Chiropractic care proved to be the perfect career move for Cartagine. “It met a lot of the requirements I was looking for in a career change,” she said. “I wanted to work with people and continue to have a positive impact… and have a little more autonomy.”
In her practice, Cartagine works utilizing an integrative holistic “Body-Mind-Health” approach to chiropractic health care.
“It’s all hyphenated because there’s no separation between body and mind,” she said. “Part of healing is about being fully present and mindful within our lives. The approach that I take is very much helping people to connect with themselves and start to notice what’s going on within their body-mind or and how that is associated with what’s going on in their life – physically, mentally/emotionally, and chemically- how it all integrates into being whole. The healing journey is about having a sense of wholeness.”
In her work utilizing her “Body-Mind-Health” philosophy, Cartagine specializes in “non-force,” or chiropractic work with gentler approaches. The approach has proven highly successful with patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly experiencing everything from the elimination of pain to better immunity and overall improved quality of life, including in instances with patients who were used to more forceful approaches.
Outside of her work, Cartagine and her wife Joanna Commander (former North Shore Schools Board Trustee) have been married for the past 11 years. In the community, in addition to Cartagine’s membership to North Shore Biz Network, she is up for re-election for her position as a Trustee of the Gold Coast Library Board. She is also a former board member and current member of the Friends of the Gold Coast Library and is a former member of the Gold Coast Business Association.
When discussing her favorite part of the North Shore community, Cartagine said it is, “the quality of small town-kind of living, which feels unique to the New York metro area. My experience has been that many people look to support the community and support community businesses. That’s really important. People have that kind of awareness, the concept of ‘Shop Local.’”
Cartagine Chiropractic and Wellness -- Dr. Rosemarie Cartagine
(516) 678-3322
1009 Glen Cove Avenue, Suite 6
Glen Head, NY 11545
www.cartaginechiropractic.com
[email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartagineChiropractic
Dr. Rosemarie Cartagine did not enter the working world with the end goal of becoming a chiropractor -- she had other ideas about how to pursue her passion of helping others.
With an undergraduate degree in social work, Cartagine worked a variety of jobs in the field, including a position at Cardinal McClusky’s Child and Family Services in the Bronx, and as a house manager at a group home for adults with developmental challenges in Massachusetts. Her introduction to chiropractic care came after a co-worker at the group home injured herself, visited a chiropractor and received a gift certificate for a complimentary visit. Cartagine was gifted the certificate for the free visit and decided to give it a try.
“I had some symptoms -- pain in the shoulder, fatigue, seasonal allergies,” she explained. “I thought that was part of aging and I was 23 at the time! I started chiropractic care and those things cleared up or went away.”
However, Cartagine’s personal success story with chiropractic care was not her only experience witnessing its benefits. A resident with epilepsy and hemi-paresis, who lived in one of the group homes where Cartagine worked, experienced results which bordered on miraculous.
“We would literally go through a pair of shoes every month because she would drag her foot,” Cartagine explained. “After a short while, she swung her leg around and had more use of her arm. She ate and brushed her teeth more easily, and she was more alert and speaking better. Between my results and her dramatic improvements, I became interested in chiropractic as a career.”
With a desire to change her career already on her mind, Cartagine completed her Doctorate in Chiropractic in 1988 from New York Chiropractic College, where in 2011 she’d go on to earn her Master of Science degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition.
“In high school, I didn’t go beyond the required biology course!” Cartagine said. “I didn’t have to take science classes for a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work. Prior to applying to chiropractic college I had to complete three year-long science prerequisite courses.”
Chiropractic care proved to be the perfect career move for Cartagine. “It met a lot of the requirements I was looking for in a career change,” she said. “I wanted to work with people and continue to have a positive impact… and have a little more autonomy.”
In her practice, Cartagine works utilizing an integrative holistic “Body-Mind-Health” approach to chiropractic health care.
“It’s all hyphenated because there’s no separation between body and mind,” she said. “Part of healing is about being fully present and mindful within our lives. The approach that I take is very much helping people to connect with themselves and start to notice what’s going on within their body-mind or and how that is associated with what’s going on in their life – physically, mentally/emotionally, and chemically- how it all integrates into being whole. The healing journey is about having a sense of wholeness.”
In her work utilizing her “Body-Mind-Health” philosophy, Cartagine specializes in “non-force,” or chiropractic work with gentler approaches. The approach has proven highly successful with patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly experiencing everything from the elimination of pain to better immunity and overall improved quality of life, including in instances with patients who were used to more forceful approaches.
Outside of her work, Cartagine and her wife Joanna Commander (former North Shore Schools Board Trustee) have been married for the past 11 years. In the community, in addition to Cartagine’s membership to North Shore Biz Network, she is up for re-election for her position as a Trustee of the Gold Coast Library Board. She is also a former board member and current member of the Friends of the Gold Coast Library and is a former member of the Gold Coast Business Association.
When discussing her favorite part of the North Shore community, Cartagine said it is, “the quality of small town-kind of living, which feels unique to the New York metro area. My experience has been that many people look to support the community and support community businesses. That’s really important. People have that kind of awareness, the concept of ‘Shop Local.’”
Cartagine Chiropractic and Wellness -- Dr. Rosemarie Cartagine
(516) 678-3322
1009 Glen Cove Avenue, Suite 6
Glen Head, NY 11545
www.cartaginechiropractic.com
[email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartagineChiropractic
Ella's Boutique & AquaBrasil
Bruna Tembelis – Ella’s Boutique
If you’ve shopped in Glen Head, chances are, you’ve met Bruna Tembelis.
After a series of pandemic-related delays, Tembelis was able to open AquaBrasil Boutique in 2020, a brick-and-mortar store with the intent of selling her own line of artisan jewelry, as well as establishing a one-stop-shop featuring women and children’s clothing as well as gifts.
“From the beginning, everything happened really quickly,” Tembelis said. “It was my dream to have a physical store but had no time to make any changes.”
Fast-forward to 2021, Tembelis decided to go forward with making changes with the alternative store name she conceptualized in the first place, Ella’s Boutique -- as a tribute to her two daughters, Maryella and Ariella. She was hesitant to change the name initially during the height of the pandemic, but then decided to move forward.
“When I felt I was more comfortable in the community, I decided to make the change,” Tembelis explained.
The new shop, Ella’s Boutique, carries numerous American-made products, including goods handcrafted by local artisans. Specialty items for women and children fill its shelves.
“I was looking for new items and to work with a lot of American brands,” Tembelis said. “I’m always looking for ‘new.’”
However, Tembelis still carries AquaBrasil brand items, including jewelry she creates herself -- and some of the AquaBrasil brand pieces are with all-natural fair-trade gemstones from Brazil. Online, Tembelis advertises the AquaBrasil brand separately from the brick-and-mortar Ella’s Boutique. She also still hosts pop-up shops at craft fairs and artisan markets locally.
With regard to the rebrand, Tembelis’ clientele has responded positively.
“I’m very grateful!” she said. “Clients have been loyal since day one. People walk in and say, ‘oh my goodness, you’re still here!’ It’s a good thing that they’re afraid that I’m gone. They’re the ones keeping me going, and I cannot thank the community enough. I felt in my heart that the change would be best for the business.”
Tembelis has truly embraced the community as her family, as her blood family members live in Brazil as well as in Spain. She has even brought her older daughter, Maryella, into the business, as she works at Ella’s Boutique on Sundays.
“We’ve been in Glen Cove for five years,” Tembelis said. “It’s where I felt at home. My favorite part of the community is that everyone tries to help each other out. My clients became family and friends. We talk about our families. I love that small-town feel.”
In the community, Tembelis is a member of North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association and the North Shore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
With regard to future plans, Tembelis hopes to advertise more in surrounding areas, as Glen Head sits in the middle of the more well-known neighborhoods of Glen Cove and Old Brookville.
“I hope people don’t forget to shop local,” she said.
In giving advice to other business owners dealing with the pandemic or rebranding, Tembelis advises the following: “In a business you have to be creative. Business is up and down. You can’t predict, and have to go with the flow and adjust yourself to what is happening. If I have an idea, I just do it. I feel it in my heart.”
Bruna Tembelis
Ella’s Boutique and AquaBrasil
683 Glen Cove Avenue
Glen Head, NY 11545
[email protected]
www.ellasny.shop
Facebook: facebook.com/ellasny.shop
Instagram: @ellasny.shop
If you’ve shopped in Glen Head, chances are, you’ve met Bruna Tembelis.
After a series of pandemic-related delays, Tembelis was able to open AquaBrasil Boutique in 2020, a brick-and-mortar store with the intent of selling her own line of artisan jewelry, as well as establishing a one-stop-shop featuring women and children’s clothing as well as gifts.
“From the beginning, everything happened really quickly,” Tembelis said. “It was my dream to have a physical store but had no time to make any changes.”
Fast-forward to 2021, Tembelis decided to go forward with making changes with the alternative store name she conceptualized in the first place, Ella’s Boutique -- as a tribute to her two daughters, Maryella and Ariella. She was hesitant to change the name initially during the height of the pandemic, but then decided to move forward.
“When I felt I was more comfortable in the community, I decided to make the change,” Tembelis explained.
The new shop, Ella’s Boutique, carries numerous American-made products, including goods handcrafted by local artisans. Specialty items for women and children fill its shelves.
“I was looking for new items and to work with a lot of American brands,” Tembelis said. “I’m always looking for ‘new.’”
However, Tembelis still carries AquaBrasil brand items, including jewelry she creates herself -- and some of the AquaBrasil brand pieces are with all-natural fair-trade gemstones from Brazil. Online, Tembelis advertises the AquaBrasil brand separately from the brick-and-mortar Ella’s Boutique. She also still hosts pop-up shops at craft fairs and artisan markets locally.
With regard to the rebrand, Tembelis’ clientele has responded positively.
“I’m very grateful!” she said. “Clients have been loyal since day one. People walk in and say, ‘oh my goodness, you’re still here!’ It’s a good thing that they’re afraid that I’m gone. They’re the ones keeping me going, and I cannot thank the community enough. I felt in my heart that the change would be best for the business.”
Tembelis has truly embraced the community as her family, as her blood family members live in Brazil as well as in Spain. She has even brought her older daughter, Maryella, into the business, as she works at Ella’s Boutique on Sundays.
“We’ve been in Glen Cove for five years,” Tembelis said. “It’s where I felt at home. My favorite part of the community is that everyone tries to help each other out. My clients became family and friends. We talk about our families. I love that small-town feel.”
In the community, Tembelis is a member of North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association and the North Shore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
With regard to future plans, Tembelis hopes to advertise more in surrounding areas, as Glen Head sits in the middle of the more well-known neighborhoods of Glen Cove and Old Brookville.
“I hope people don’t forget to shop local,” she said.
In giving advice to other business owners dealing with the pandemic or rebranding, Tembelis advises the following: “In a business you have to be creative. Business is up and down. You can’t predict, and have to go with the flow and adjust yourself to what is happening. If I have an idea, I just do it. I feel it in my heart.”
Bruna Tembelis
Ella’s Boutique and AquaBrasil
683 Glen Cove Avenue
Glen Head, NY 11545
[email protected]
www.ellasny.shop
Facebook: facebook.com/ellasny.shop
Instagram: @ellasny.shop
Gemelli Gourmet Market North
Adriana Schutz never expected she’d enter the family business.
Before she and her twin sister, Alessia, were born in 1992, her parents, uncles and grandmother ran their family restaurant as well as their family gourmet market -- both located in Babylon Village. Both the restaurant and the market bore the name “Gemelli,” which means “twins” in Italian. The name was chosen in honor of her older first cousins, who are twins -- the fact that Adriana and Alessia are twins is a pure coincidence.
“My grandmother came from a long line of restaurateurs,” Adriana said. “When she came over here, she brought my mom and my two uncles. She would try to find work wherever she could. One day, someone helped my uncle, and she wanted to give that person spaghetti pie in return.” Due to the success of the pie, friends and neighbors asked to pay for it.
Spaghetti pie was just the beginning, as Adriana’s grandmother continued to sell her food. Her mother, Patricia, worked in a supermarket owned by Bob Schutz -- who went from boss to husband. The family made the profitable decision to join all of its forces and open the first Gemelli gourmet market in Babylon Village in 1988. The restaurant soon followed in 1996.
But Adriana’s own career plan changed, when her grandmother (known to the family and to customers as Mamma Gemelli) fell ill and subsequently passed away. She left a job at a Manhattan jewelry wholesaler, where she worked for three years. “I never wanted to get into the family business,” she said. “I worked at the restaurant as a hostess. I worked at the restaurant as a cashier. But it’s just second nature to me.” Together with her parents and older brother, Marc, she helped to launch Gemelli Gourmet Market North.
“We wanted to do something to honor her,” Adriana said. “With my brother and I deciding to get into the business, we decided that the store in Babylon could only create lives for so many families.”
The decision to move north, after the existing businesses have always remained in Babylon closer to the family home, was not intentional; vendors who delivered to the Babylon store gave the family a tip about a property in Glen Head that was newly available for rent. “When we came here to see it, we fell in love with it.”
Mamma Gemelli’s rich history quickly repeated itself for the Schutz family in the Glen Head store. The Babylon Gemelli location did not originally offer catering to its customers, but a desperate customer with company coming over changed that fact. The customer asked for a lasagna on short notice to bring home for his guests, and Mamma Gemelli delivered in grand style -- and the catering branch of the business was born. Years later, not one week after “Gemelli North’s” opening, a desperate customer asked Patricia for a half-tray of lasagna to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner (when the store did not intend to take an onslaught of Thanksgiving orders due to its recent opening).
“It was like a sign from my grandma,” Adriana said. “It was as though she was telling us, ‘This is a good thing that you’ve opened up here.’”
The combined efforts of the Schutz family have led to the growth of a staple business in Glen Head and the surrounding communities. It serves early-morning breakfast hunters, North Shore School District teachers at lunchtime, and busy professionals looking to pick up dinner on their way to their homes after work. The store also offers delivery both through DoorDash and in-house. But Gemelli’s isn’t only about the food -- the store’s “family atmosphere” makes it different than other area gourmet markets.
“My grandmother used to say, it doesn’t cost anything to be kind,” Adriana said. “The customers are constantly seeing me, my sister, my mom, my dad, my brother, every day. When we started to get to know our customers, it made us happy that they came in here and they came for that family atmosphere. We know what’s going on in their lives. We know what they like. If we see items that they like, we know, and we make sure to get it for them.”
After just three years in business, “Gemelli North” was one of the first area businesses to enthusiastically join North Shore Biz Network. Additionally, “Gemelli North” is an active member of the Gold Coast Business Association, where Adriana serves as a board member. The store has also received island-wide recognition, as it was nominated for the honor of Best BBQ Spare Ribs by Bethpage Best of Long Island and is, recently, the winner of the Long Island Herald Family Business Award.
In looking to the future, Adriana, Alessia, Marc, Bob and Patricia hope to add a seafood counter and a smoothie bar for healthier options. They also have a goal of increasing the number of wine dinners.
Visit Gemelli Gourmet Market North every month for NSBN’s Breakfast Club Series, beginning February 11, 2020 at 8am.
Gemelli Gourmet Market North
716 Glen Cove Ave
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 200 - 9746
www.gemelligourmetmarketnorth.com
Facebook: facebook.com/gemelligourmetmarketnorth
Instagram: @gemelligourmetnorth
Before she and her twin sister, Alessia, were born in 1992, her parents, uncles and grandmother ran their family restaurant as well as their family gourmet market -- both located in Babylon Village. Both the restaurant and the market bore the name “Gemelli,” which means “twins” in Italian. The name was chosen in honor of her older first cousins, who are twins -- the fact that Adriana and Alessia are twins is a pure coincidence.
“My grandmother came from a long line of restaurateurs,” Adriana said. “When she came over here, she brought my mom and my two uncles. She would try to find work wherever she could. One day, someone helped my uncle, and she wanted to give that person spaghetti pie in return.” Due to the success of the pie, friends and neighbors asked to pay for it.
Spaghetti pie was just the beginning, as Adriana’s grandmother continued to sell her food. Her mother, Patricia, worked in a supermarket owned by Bob Schutz -- who went from boss to husband. The family made the profitable decision to join all of its forces and open the first Gemelli gourmet market in Babylon Village in 1988. The restaurant soon followed in 1996.
But Adriana’s own career plan changed, when her grandmother (known to the family and to customers as Mamma Gemelli) fell ill and subsequently passed away. She left a job at a Manhattan jewelry wholesaler, where she worked for three years. “I never wanted to get into the family business,” she said. “I worked at the restaurant as a hostess. I worked at the restaurant as a cashier. But it’s just second nature to me.” Together with her parents and older brother, Marc, she helped to launch Gemelli Gourmet Market North.
“We wanted to do something to honor her,” Adriana said. “With my brother and I deciding to get into the business, we decided that the store in Babylon could only create lives for so many families.”
The decision to move north, after the existing businesses have always remained in Babylon closer to the family home, was not intentional; vendors who delivered to the Babylon store gave the family a tip about a property in Glen Head that was newly available for rent. “When we came here to see it, we fell in love with it.”
Mamma Gemelli’s rich history quickly repeated itself for the Schutz family in the Glen Head store. The Babylon Gemelli location did not originally offer catering to its customers, but a desperate customer with company coming over changed that fact. The customer asked for a lasagna on short notice to bring home for his guests, and Mamma Gemelli delivered in grand style -- and the catering branch of the business was born. Years later, not one week after “Gemelli North’s” opening, a desperate customer asked Patricia for a half-tray of lasagna to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner (when the store did not intend to take an onslaught of Thanksgiving orders due to its recent opening).
“It was like a sign from my grandma,” Adriana said. “It was as though she was telling us, ‘This is a good thing that you’ve opened up here.’”
The combined efforts of the Schutz family have led to the growth of a staple business in Glen Head and the surrounding communities. It serves early-morning breakfast hunters, North Shore School District teachers at lunchtime, and busy professionals looking to pick up dinner on their way to their homes after work. The store also offers delivery both through DoorDash and in-house. But Gemelli’s isn’t only about the food -- the store’s “family atmosphere” makes it different than other area gourmet markets.
“My grandmother used to say, it doesn’t cost anything to be kind,” Adriana said. “The customers are constantly seeing me, my sister, my mom, my dad, my brother, every day. When we started to get to know our customers, it made us happy that they came in here and they came for that family atmosphere. We know what’s going on in their lives. We know what they like. If we see items that they like, we know, and we make sure to get it for them.”
After just three years in business, “Gemelli North” was one of the first area businesses to enthusiastically join North Shore Biz Network. Additionally, “Gemelli North” is an active member of the Gold Coast Business Association, where Adriana serves as a board member. The store has also received island-wide recognition, as it was nominated for the honor of Best BBQ Spare Ribs by Bethpage Best of Long Island and is, recently, the winner of the Long Island Herald Family Business Award.
In looking to the future, Adriana, Alessia, Marc, Bob and Patricia hope to add a seafood counter and a smoothie bar for healthier options. They also have a goal of increasing the number of wine dinners.
Visit Gemelli Gourmet Market North every month for NSBN’s Breakfast Club Series, beginning February 11, 2020 at 8am.
Gemelli Gourmet Market North
716 Glen Cove Ave
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 200 - 9746
www.gemelligourmetmarketnorth.com
Facebook: facebook.com/gemelligourmetmarketnorth
Instagram: @gemelligourmetnorth
Gracie Donaldson - Community Advocate
Freelance Creator, NSBN Promotion Manager, Performer & Office Manager
Gracie Donaldson has lived in Glen Head for most of her life.
After attending college at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and spending five months as part of the Disney College Program and working as a seasonal Cast Member at Walt Disney World in Florida, she came back to Glen Head -- to her family and to all of her beloved communities. At age 32, she manages three careers while living in her childhood home -- and her boyfriend, Anthony Cipriano (also a NSBN member), lives just minutes away in Glen Cove.
“My parents haven’t asked me to leave yet,” Donaldson said. “And while Anthony and I are looking to move in together and get married, I live at home for my family -- but also because I want to stay in this area. Millennials are leaving by the carload and I want to be here.”
Born into an entrepreneurial family, by day, Donaldson works alongside her father, Bob, as the office manager of his commercial leasing business -- also located in Glen Head.
“Dad has taught me nearly everything I know about business,” Donaldson remarked. “I’ve watched his resourcefulness with customers, his intense work ethic, his salesmanship, his ability to acquire referrals at an impressive pace.”
With entrepreneurial blood, by night, Donaldson runs a freelance-based content creation and management business she calls “Jill of All Trades.” She creates content including full-length articles, blog posts, social media posts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, email templates, graphics, flyers and videos. Additionally, she edits pre-created work, develops mailing lists, manages a number of social media accounts for which she creates content and even teaches a few clients how to manage their own social media accounts.
While her education is largely based is in writing and social media, Donaldson has worked to expand her offerings.
“I’ve never taken a graphic design class in my life,” she said. “In creating social media content, I’d need to create flyers and Facebook cover photos. I work with Canva, an online graphic design platform, on a near daily basis now. But I can look back at some of my early designs and see how far I’ve come while teaching myself to create designs.”
Locally, Donaldson works with a number of North Shore Biz Network members. She also maintains clients out of the immediate area.
“I have people who hire me for one project, I have people who hire me to create Facebook posts for them every single day and manage their account and I have people who call me every few weeks or months when they need me to create a graphic or write a few articles,” she explained.
Over the past year, Donaldson has experienced the power of networking through the cross-over of her freelance work with her first love: performing. In pursuit of her passion, she continues to take voice lessons, and took acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan as a high school student. Her hard work led her to several community and semi-professional gigs, locally including work as a leader of song at her parish of St. Mary’s in Roslyn, producing and performing in North Shore Village Theatre’s first-ever Holiday Variety Show in 2019 and live and virtual gigs with NSBN member Memory Lane Music Café.
“I wanted to have a career in the performing arts from the time I was a very little girl,” Donaldson recalled. “While Broadway wasn’t in the cards for me, I get to produce and perform all the time.”
When preparing for a live gig with Memory Lane Music Café back in early March 2020, Donaldson created a promotional poster, which led her to work as a freelance publicist and producer for the concert series. Since the Coronavirus pandemic forced concerts to go virtual, Donaldson has produced and performed in three virtual pre-recorded concerts.
In the community, Donaldson has worked with several organizations since moving back to Glen Head in 2012. She serves NSBN as its promotions manager, creating all promotional graphics and maintaining correspondence with newspaper associates, as well as working on the social media side. She is also a former member and publicity coordinator for the Rotary Club of Glen Cove, worked on the Special Events committee for the Glen Cove 350th anniversary celebration in 2018 (for which she also wrote, directed and performed in an original play, and performed our National Anthem at the committee’s Old Time Base Ball game in 2019), a former board member of the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Gold Coast Business Association.
“I’ve found a number of opportunities for business and connection thanks to Deborah (Orgel-Gordon) and NSBN,” Donaldson said. “We work so well together and have such an understanding of each other.”
Gracie Donaldson
Jill of All Trades
(516) 650-9637
[email protected]
After attending college at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and spending five months as part of the Disney College Program and working as a seasonal Cast Member at Walt Disney World in Florida, she came back to Glen Head -- to her family and to all of her beloved communities. At age 32, she manages three careers while living in her childhood home -- and her boyfriend, Anthony Cipriano (also a NSBN member), lives just minutes away in Glen Cove.
“My parents haven’t asked me to leave yet,” Donaldson said. “And while Anthony and I are looking to move in together and get married, I live at home for my family -- but also because I want to stay in this area. Millennials are leaving by the carload and I want to be here.”
Born into an entrepreneurial family, by day, Donaldson works alongside her father, Bob, as the office manager of his commercial leasing business -- also located in Glen Head.
“Dad has taught me nearly everything I know about business,” Donaldson remarked. “I’ve watched his resourcefulness with customers, his intense work ethic, his salesmanship, his ability to acquire referrals at an impressive pace.”
With entrepreneurial blood, by night, Donaldson runs a freelance-based content creation and management business she calls “Jill of All Trades.” She creates content including full-length articles, blog posts, social media posts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, email templates, graphics, flyers and videos. Additionally, she edits pre-created work, develops mailing lists, manages a number of social media accounts for which she creates content and even teaches a few clients how to manage their own social media accounts.
While her education is largely based is in writing and social media, Donaldson has worked to expand her offerings.
“I’ve never taken a graphic design class in my life,” she said. “In creating social media content, I’d need to create flyers and Facebook cover photos. I work with Canva, an online graphic design platform, on a near daily basis now. But I can look back at some of my early designs and see how far I’ve come while teaching myself to create designs.”
Locally, Donaldson works with a number of North Shore Biz Network members. She also maintains clients out of the immediate area.
“I have people who hire me for one project, I have people who hire me to create Facebook posts for them every single day and manage their account and I have people who call me every few weeks or months when they need me to create a graphic or write a few articles,” she explained.
Over the past year, Donaldson has experienced the power of networking through the cross-over of her freelance work with her first love: performing. In pursuit of her passion, she continues to take voice lessons, and took acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan as a high school student. Her hard work led her to several community and semi-professional gigs, locally including work as a leader of song at her parish of St. Mary’s in Roslyn, producing and performing in North Shore Village Theatre’s first-ever Holiday Variety Show in 2019 and live and virtual gigs with NSBN member Memory Lane Music Café.
“I wanted to have a career in the performing arts from the time I was a very little girl,” Donaldson recalled. “While Broadway wasn’t in the cards for me, I get to produce and perform all the time.”
When preparing for a live gig with Memory Lane Music Café back in early March 2020, Donaldson created a promotional poster, which led her to work as a freelance publicist and producer for the concert series. Since the Coronavirus pandemic forced concerts to go virtual, Donaldson has produced and performed in three virtual pre-recorded concerts.
In the community, Donaldson has worked with several organizations since moving back to Glen Head in 2012. She serves NSBN as its promotions manager, creating all promotional graphics and maintaining correspondence with newspaper associates, as well as working on the social media side. She is also a former member and publicity coordinator for the Rotary Club of Glen Cove, worked on the Special Events committee for the Glen Cove 350th anniversary celebration in 2018 (for which she also wrote, directed and performed in an original play, and performed our National Anthem at the committee’s Old Time Base Ball game in 2019), a former board member of the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Gold Coast Business Association.
“I’ve found a number of opportunities for business and connection thanks to Deborah (Orgel-Gordon) and NSBN,” Donaldson said. “We work so well together and have such an understanding of each other.”
Gracie Donaldson
Jill of All Trades
(516) 650-9637
[email protected]
Madison Stone & Tile Design
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With a combined 40-plus years of experience in the tile field, Maria Dattolo and Jessica Merrick operate Madison Stone and Tile Design, Inc., located at 120 Glen Head Road in Glen Head. This location was chosen because the building reflects “old-world” architecture.
However, while the showroom was scheduled to opened in February 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic moved their plans up. But that didn’t keep Dattolo and Merrick, who met through mutual friends in the industry, down for long. They opted for a soft opening instead.
“There is a need for a tile store in the area,” Merrick said. “We’re a resource for the community. We offer a variety of design services along with an extensive collection of stone, ceramic, glass, marble, porcelain and metal tile.”
Dattolo, a 35-year resident of Glen Cove, has worked in the commercial/residential tile industry for more than 20 years. She applies her Italian background of “old-world” artistry to all of her designs. Merrick has worked in the tile industry for nearly 15 years and favors a more modern/eclectic design aesthetic -- and is up for any design challenge.
Working on commercial projects has helped to put Madison Stone and Tile Design on the cutting edge of design, technique and innovative materials used by the trade at large.
“The first step when meeting with a client is to qualify and determine their vision for their space,” Merrick said. “Then we develop concepts. It may require a few meetings and tweaks, but we understand that this is a process. We take the necessary time to ensure that our client is absolutely ecstatic with their selection.”
Madison Stone and Tile Design provides a different experience that a customer might not encounter with a competitor or big box chain. When consumers visit the showroom, they know they will be working with professionals knowledgeable of their products. Madison’s philosophy is to value customer service and the importance of relationship-building.
“It is rewarding to create spaces that people will enjoy for many years to come,” Dattolo said.
“I absolutely love what I do,” Merrick added. “Many customers are overwhelmed especially those renovating an entire home. We have to make it work. It’s surprising to see what we can accomplish given time restraints and budget, and still not compromise the client’s aesthetic. No project is too big or too small.”
As a result of their attention to detail and customer service, Merrick notes that “clients have led to friendships outside of work.”
Within the community, Madison Stone and Tile Design holds membership to North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association.
Additionally, “We like to work with other businesses in the area” Dattolo said. “Shopping local has become so critical right now “
“People like to be ‘in this’ with other businesses,” Merrick added. “If we can help each other succeed, why not?
Madison Stone and Tile Design
120 Glen Head Road
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 781-0191
[email protected]
https://madisonresidentialdesign.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MadisonResidentialDesign
Instagram: @madisonresidentialdesign
However, while the showroom was scheduled to opened in February 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic moved their plans up. But that didn’t keep Dattolo and Merrick, who met through mutual friends in the industry, down for long. They opted for a soft opening instead.
“There is a need for a tile store in the area,” Merrick said. “We’re a resource for the community. We offer a variety of design services along with an extensive collection of stone, ceramic, glass, marble, porcelain and metal tile.”
Dattolo, a 35-year resident of Glen Cove, has worked in the commercial/residential tile industry for more than 20 years. She applies her Italian background of “old-world” artistry to all of her designs. Merrick has worked in the tile industry for nearly 15 years and favors a more modern/eclectic design aesthetic -- and is up for any design challenge.
Working on commercial projects has helped to put Madison Stone and Tile Design on the cutting edge of design, technique and innovative materials used by the trade at large.
“The first step when meeting with a client is to qualify and determine their vision for their space,” Merrick said. “Then we develop concepts. It may require a few meetings and tweaks, but we understand that this is a process. We take the necessary time to ensure that our client is absolutely ecstatic with their selection.”
Madison Stone and Tile Design provides a different experience that a customer might not encounter with a competitor or big box chain. When consumers visit the showroom, they know they will be working with professionals knowledgeable of their products. Madison’s philosophy is to value customer service and the importance of relationship-building.
“It is rewarding to create spaces that people will enjoy for many years to come,” Dattolo said.
“I absolutely love what I do,” Merrick added. “Many customers are overwhelmed especially those renovating an entire home. We have to make it work. It’s surprising to see what we can accomplish given time restraints and budget, and still not compromise the client’s aesthetic. No project is too big or too small.”
As a result of their attention to detail and customer service, Merrick notes that “clients have led to friendships outside of work.”
Within the community, Madison Stone and Tile Design holds membership to North Shore Biz Network as well as the Gold Coast Business Association.
Additionally, “We like to work with other businesses in the area” Dattolo said. “Shopping local has become so critical right now “
“People like to be ‘in this’ with other businesses,” Merrick added. “If we can help each other succeed, why not?
Madison Stone and Tile Design
120 Glen Head Road
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 781-0191
[email protected]
https://madisonresidentialdesign.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MadisonResidentialDesign
Instagram: @madisonresidentialdesign
North Shore Monuments
&
North Shore Architectural Stone
Maggie Tanchuck and her husband, Hugh, are no strangers to Glen Head, as well as to the North Shore area. She became familiar with the community over the course of her entire life, as her grandfather served as the chief of the Glen Cove Police for 50 years, and the Caggiano family had owned and operated J&J Jewels for 50 years.
“I have deep roots in the community, here on the North Shore,” Tanchuck said. “I have always loved being a small business in this community.”
At North Shore Monuments, Tanchuck is focused on continuing to grow the company that originated in Odessa, Ukraine, moved to the Bronx and then, Huntington and finally to Glen Head where it has been serving the community since 1987.
Initially, the Tanchucks rented a small space in Greenvale, but moved to Brookville in 1990.
“We always wanted to be the local monument deal, serving the community so people did not have to leave town to purchase a monument for their loved one,” Tanchuck said.
The Tanchucks’ business has always been diversified, having always produced monuments; however, they also help the not-for-profit business community with a donor recognition engraved brick program, beginning in 1995.
“We have helped raise millions of dollars in communities across Long Island,” Tanchuck said. “The engraved brick business brought us into the masonry business where our company could offer our clients full service on the building patios and walkways. The masonry business brought us further into the world of construction when we started to connect with more architects who saw our unique skill sets engraving monuments, masonry and soon thereafter, stone facades and stone restoration.”
After September 11, 2001, the business grew as a community monument company, creating many large community monuments honoring those lost. September 11 changed the monument industry, as very large monuments were designed into the fabric of communities around the Tri-State area.
“We started meeting many architects and design teams which brought us closer into the construction world,” Tanchuck said.
The first major construction job for the Tanchucks came in the form of the front stone façade at the Polo Ralph Lauren Flagship store on Greenwich Ave in Connecticut. They received a lot of recognition on this job for their unique stone installation skills and craftsmanship.
In 2009, the Tanchucks opened their sister company, North Shore Architectural Stone, as their construction division. They expanded their space to 66 Glen Head Rd, where they held many “lunch and learn” programs for architects to earn continuing education credits. This initiative created an opportunity to expand their network of architects and bid on NYC stone construction jobs.
The expansion, Tanchuck said, “was a very big leap from our little monument company but we rose to the occasion, expanded our team and honed their skills. For the past 12 years we have built a lot of very cool projects around Manhattan and restored a lot of historic bronze and stone.”
To date, the biggest project completed by North Shore Architectural Stone is a six-floor limestone townhouse on 72nd and Madison, where the team completed a restoration of the entire front façade and made new to match the existing.
“They [the building owners] loved our work so much on the exterior they took us on the interior as well where we built 14 fireplaces, three pools and an interior stone baseball court for this family of three!” Tanchuck said.
The pandemic has brought the Tanchucks and their team back to their roots at North Shore Monuments, where they continue to serve the community as the local monument company. NYC construction has slowed a little, but monuments have understandably picked up. The focus at North Shore Monuments has always been on community, and on providing compassionate advice to grieving families. The construction jobs are more glamorous and exciting but monuments are the company’s strong foundation.
In the community, the Tanchucks have always been active in many organizations over the course of many years. Currently, the Tanchucks hold a business membership to North Shore Biz Network and other trade organizations.
Previously, Hugh served as President of Kiwanis, and Maggie and her assistant, Lisa, met as Co-Presidents at the Center for Parents and Children. Maggie also campaigned successfully in front of the North Shore Schools board to establish their after-school program. Additionally, Hugh initially organized and took charge of the Kiwanis Nassau-Suffolk bike tour, before turning over leadership -- the event continues to raise funds for the North Shore pediatric trauma center. Fundraising and being a part of the community has always been part of doing business for the Tanchucks.
Outside of work, Maggie enjoys Bikram yoga, hot pilates, and tennis, she also enjoys cooking and visiting local restaurants.
The Tanchucks love living and working in the community in which they grew up.
“Seeing familiar faces and helping friends and neighbors build monuments and unique projects in stone keep us busy and give us purpose,” Tanchuck said. “We all really love the work we do and look forward to being a part of your next project in stone.”
Maggie and Hugh Tanchuck
North Shore Monuments
667 Cedar Swamp Road #5
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-2156
www.northshoremonuments.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922068324
North Shore Architectural Stone
66 Glen Head Rd.
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-2156
www.nsastone.com
[email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSAStone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsastone
“I have deep roots in the community, here on the North Shore,” Tanchuck said. “I have always loved being a small business in this community.”
At North Shore Monuments, Tanchuck is focused on continuing to grow the company that originated in Odessa, Ukraine, moved to the Bronx and then, Huntington and finally to Glen Head where it has been serving the community since 1987.
Initially, the Tanchucks rented a small space in Greenvale, but moved to Brookville in 1990.
“We always wanted to be the local monument deal, serving the community so people did not have to leave town to purchase a monument for their loved one,” Tanchuck said.
The Tanchucks’ business has always been diversified, having always produced monuments; however, they also help the not-for-profit business community with a donor recognition engraved brick program, beginning in 1995.
“We have helped raise millions of dollars in communities across Long Island,” Tanchuck said. “The engraved brick business brought us into the masonry business where our company could offer our clients full service on the building patios and walkways. The masonry business brought us further into the world of construction when we started to connect with more architects who saw our unique skill sets engraving monuments, masonry and soon thereafter, stone facades and stone restoration.”
After September 11, 2001, the business grew as a community monument company, creating many large community monuments honoring those lost. September 11 changed the monument industry, as very large monuments were designed into the fabric of communities around the Tri-State area.
“We started meeting many architects and design teams which brought us closer into the construction world,” Tanchuck said.
The first major construction job for the Tanchucks came in the form of the front stone façade at the Polo Ralph Lauren Flagship store on Greenwich Ave in Connecticut. They received a lot of recognition on this job for their unique stone installation skills and craftsmanship.
In 2009, the Tanchucks opened their sister company, North Shore Architectural Stone, as their construction division. They expanded their space to 66 Glen Head Rd, where they held many “lunch and learn” programs for architects to earn continuing education credits. This initiative created an opportunity to expand their network of architects and bid on NYC stone construction jobs.
The expansion, Tanchuck said, “was a very big leap from our little monument company but we rose to the occasion, expanded our team and honed their skills. For the past 12 years we have built a lot of very cool projects around Manhattan and restored a lot of historic bronze and stone.”
To date, the biggest project completed by North Shore Architectural Stone is a six-floor limestone townhouse on 72nd and Madison, where the team completed a restoration of the entire front façade and made new to match the existing.
“They [the building owners] loved our work so much on the exterior they took us on the interior as well where we built 14 fireplaces, three pools and an interior stone baseball court for this family of three!” Tanchuck said.
The pandemic has brought the Tanchucks and their team back to their roots at North Shore Monuments, where they continue to serve the community as the local monument company. NYC construction has slowed a little, but monuments have understandably picked up. The focus at North Shore Monuments has always been on community, and on providing compassionate advice to grieving families. The construction jobs are more glamorous and exciting but monuments are the company’s strong foundation.
In the community, the Tanchucks have always been active in many organizations over the course of many years. Currently, the Tanchucks hold a business membership to North Shore Biz Network and other trade organizations.
Previously, Hugh served as President of Kiwanis, and Maggie and her assistant, Lisa, met as Co-Presidents at the Center for Parents and Children. Maggie also campaigned successfully in front of the North Shore Schools board to establish their after-school program. Additionally, Hugh initially organized and took charge of the Kiwanis Nassau-Suffolk bike tour, before turning over leadership -- the event continues to raise funds for the North Shore pediatric trauma center. Fundraising and being a part of the community has always been part of doing business for the Tanchucks.
Outside of work, Maggie enjoys Bikram yoga, hot pilates, and tennis, she also enjoys cooking and visiting local restaurants.
The Tanchucks love living and working in the community in which they grew up.
“Seeing familiar faces and helping friends and neighbors build monuments and unique projects in stone keep us busy and give us purpose,” Tanchuck said. “We all really love the work we do and look forward to being a part of your next project in stone.”
Maggie and Hugh Tanchuck
North Shore Monuments
667 Cedar Swamp Road #5
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-2156
www.northshoremonuments.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922068324
North Shore Architectural Stone
66 Glen Head Rd.
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-2156
www.nsastone.com
[email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSAStone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsastone
Samuels Agency Independent Medicare Advisor - Marc Samuels
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Born and raised in New York City and having lived in the Boroughs of Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, Marc Samuels owns a successful NYC business that he conceptualized himself. PhotoTrek Tours, established in 2003, mixes photography with a private, guided tour of the City, in which participants can have special moments captured at New York City landmarks.
However, the Coronavirus pandemic changed the plans of anyone looking to visit Manhattan as a tourist, and PhotoTrek Tours was shut down indefinitely. Samuels, who moved to the North Shore in 2015 and commuted to NYC, was forced to pivot to a different line of work, and found his calling in the Medicare business.
“I wanted to help people,” Samuels said. “You’re guiding them. Some people think that they can do it on their own. Every year, the doctors change networks. Why not have someone who can guide you and give you info about medical plans, especially if it doesn’t cost you?”
In order to establish himself as an independent Medicare agent (different from captive agents who sell products for one company instead of several different ones), Samuels earned his Life, Accident and Health insurance license in New York State, as well as his Medicare license. He is currently licensed to sell products for five to six different insurance companies. Each company requires passing its own individual examination.
“Basically, the past few years, I’ve done quite a bit of testing,” Samuels explained. “There’s a lot involved.”
When pairing clients with the correct policies, Samuels puts each client into a system and looks for a plan that meets each client’s given needs. As Medicare is the bulk of his product, Samuels prides himself on his knowledge of the needs of senior citizens, as many do not have set Medicare plans. As a local agent, Samuels can speak directly to a company before pairing a client with a plan, and utilizes his knowledge in lowering both healthcare and drug- related expenses.
“Carriers don’t want to be inundated with calls,” Samuels said. “They want to speak to local agents. I’m a local guy who is trying to service the community.”
Networking has paved the way for Samuels to build a client base on the North Shore -- he cites networking as the primary drive of his business, and attends several Zoom meetings with other North Shore Biz Network members and friends.
“It allows me to reach people who might not otherwise know about my business,” Samuels said. “It’s not just about selling a product, it’s about knowing that options are available. It’s not a one-way street, and networking has been extremely helpful in allowing customers access to options. It’s a matter of being comfortable -- personalized service.”
Samuels lives in Glenwood Landing with his wife of 15 years, Joanna; his 14-year-old daughter Maya and his ten-year-old son Emil. He’s enjoyed getting to know the parents of his children’s friends, and loves how fulfilled his children feel in the community in terms of their peers as well as their educational and athletic opportunities.
In looking to the future, Samuels hopes to grow a larger client base that he can continue to help and support, and guide through the Medicare process. He hopes that his guidance will continue to relieve some of their stress of dealing with high medical bills and drug costs. He hopes that the upcoming Open Enrollment period, which begins on October 15, will promote that process and growth.
“I have the knowledge to assist them to do that,” he said. “I just want to help more and more people.”
Marc Samuels
Samuels Agency Independent Medicare Advisors
917-734-7602
www.medicareinform.com
[email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/samuelsagencymedicare/
However, the Coronavirus pandemic changed the plans of anyone looking to visit Manhattan as a tourist, and PhotoTrek Tours was shut down indefinitely. Samuels, who moved to the North Shore in 2015 and commuted to NYC, was forced to pivot to a different line of work, and found his calling in the Medicare business.
“I wanted to help people,” Samuels said. “You’re guiding them. Some people think that they can do it on their own. Every year, the doctors change networks. Why not have someone who can guide you and give you info about medical plans, especially if it doesn’t cost you?”
In order to establish himself as an independent Medicare agent (different from captive agents who sell products for one company instead of several different ones), Samuels earned his Life, Accident and Health insurance license in New York State, as well as his Medicare license. He is currently licensed to sell products for five to six different insurance companies. Each company requires passing its own individual examination.
“Basically, the past few years, I’ve done quite a bit of testing,” Samuels explained. “There’s a lot involved.”
When pairing clients with the correct policies, Samuels puts each client into a system and looks for a plan that meets each client’s given needs. As Medicare is the bulk of his product, Samuels prides himself on his knowledge of the needs of senior citizens, as many do not have set Medicare plans. As a local agent, Samuels can speak directly to a company before pairing a client with a plan, and utilizes his knowledge in lowering both healthcare and drug- related expenses.
“Carriers don’t want to be inundated with calls,” Samuels said. “They want to speak to local agents. I’m a local guy who is trying to service the community.”
Networking has paved the way for Samuels to build a client base on the North Shore -- he cites networking as the primary drive of his business, and attends several Zoom meetings with other North Shore Biz Network members and friends.
“It allows me to reach people who might not otherwise know about my business,” Samuels said. “It’s not just about selling a product, it’s about knowing that options are available. It’s not a one-way street, and networking has been extremely helpful in allowing customers access to options. It’s a matter of being comfortable -- personalized service.”
Samuels lives in Glenwood Landing with his wife of 15 years, Joanna; his 14-year-old daughter Maya and his ten-year-old son Emil. He’s enjoyed getting to know the parents of his children’s friends, and loves how fulfilled his children feel in the community in terms of their peers as well as their educational and athletic opportunities.
In looking to the future, Samuels hopes to grow a larger client base that he can continue to help and support, and guide through the Medicare process. He hopes that his guidance will continue to relieve some of their stress of dealing with high medical bills and drug costs. He hopes that the upcoming Open Enrollment period, which begins on October 15, will promote that process and growth.
“I have the knowledge to assist them to do that,” he said. “I just want to help more and more people.”
Marc Samuels
Samuels Agency Independent Medicare Advisors
917-734-7602
www.medicareinform.com
[email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/samuelsagencymedicare/
The Med Station
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Ernie Feliciano isn’t a North Shore local -- but he might as well be.
While he resides on the South Shore overcoming a half-hour long daily commute, he is known throughout the North Shore community for the exceptional care provided by his healthcare business, The Med Station, located on the border of Glen Cove and Locust Valley.
Feliciano and his wife, Debbie, who practices medicine at The Med Station, took over the Glen Cove establishment back in 2017. But they didn’t start their career at the urgent care center as owners. While South Shore natives, the Felicianos lived in Ohio at the time to finish their medical training, and moved back to Long Island in 2007. They started working at The Med Station under Dr. Russell Samuel, who established the practice in 1990. Once Dr. Samuel was ready to retire, he did not even consider selling the business -- rather, he gave it to the Felicianos.
“Well, there was a ceremonial one dollar,” Feliciano said. “We’ve been running it for three years now.”
The patients at The Med Station regularly hail from Glen Cove and Locust Valley, but also from Glen Head and Sea Cliff, according to Feliciano. Services offered include all primary care and occupational medicine- related services. In addition to providing care to walk-in urgent care and primary care patients, The Med Station holds contracts to perform all employee physical exams with bus companies, school districts, villages and towns and nursing homes.
“At our office, we always have three providers present,” Feliciano explained. “We have one doctor, one physician’s assistant and one nurse practitioner at the same time.” With regard to insurance, “it’s very tricky how [we] do it,” Feliciano said. However, while The Med Station is limited in its ability to bill an insurance company for the entire amount of an urgent care visit, it accepts almost all insurances.
But business as usual at The Med Station became not as usual during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. “We are doing our best to try and control the spread,” Feliciano said. “All healthcare facilities are more susceptible to contract viruses. Not everyone who visits a grocery store is sick, while 75 percent of people who come in to see us are sick.” Even with The Med Station’s extensive efforts to keep the virus at bay -- which include utilizing patient cars as waiting areas, advocating for telemedicine, using only two of the office’s five exam rooms to encourage social distancing and sanitizing the rooms between appointments -- the pandemic effected the Feliciano family on a personal level when both Feliciano and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
While Debbie continued to see patients via Telemedicine, Feliciano remained at the office, managing the business and in-person patients. Eventually, both tested positive for antibodies, but not without dueling quarantine periods. In addition, half of the staff at The Med Station came down with the virus due to their collective exposure.
In classic style, The Med Station never closed for a day throughout the height of the pandemic. Its only recent closure came as a result of a power outage due to Tropical Storm Isaias.
Through all of the pandemic-related trials, managing a business, commuting and taking care of a family, Feliciano remains committed to the local community as an active member of North Shore Biz Network, the Gold Coast Business Association, the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce and the Locust Valley Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he volunteers the first aid tent at Glen Cove Youth Soccer games, and he arrives with his children in tow to help him work the tent -- “so they could learn the altruistic part of medicine.” Perhaps most importantly, Feliciano has served as the coach of his son’s soccer teams for over ten years.
In addition to weathering the pandemic, The Med Station increased its reach in the community and proudly opened a second location in Glen Head on March 22, 2021. With the exception of X-Ray services, all services offered in the Locust Valley location are also offered in Glen Head.
When asked his favorite part of the North Shore community, Feliciano said, “This community is very tight-knit. Generally, everybody helps each other. I see that on Facebook. I haven’t seen that on the South Shore.” In addition to social media, Feliciano says that he learns of local good deeds from his patients. “They talk about how they help each other,” he said.
The Med Station
Locust Valley:
480 Forest Avenue
Locust Valley, NY 11560
Glen Head:
677 Glen Cove Avenue
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-5406
[email protected]
www.themedstationpc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/themedstationpc
While he resides on the South Shore overcoming a half-hour long daily commute, he is known throughout the North Shore community for the exceptional care provided by his healthcare business, The Med Station, located on the border of Glen Cove and Locust Valley.
Feliciano and his wife, Debbie, who practices medicine at The Med Station, took over the Glen Cove establishment back in 2017. But they didn’t start their career at the urgent care center as owners. While South Shore natives, the Felicianos lived in Ohio at the time to finish their medical training, and moved back to Long Island in 2007. They started working at The Med Station under Dr. Russell Samuel, who established the practice in 1990. Once Dr. Samuel was ready to retire, he did not even consider selling the business -- rather, he gave it to the Felicianos.
“Well, there was a ceremonial one dollar,” Feliciano said. “We’ve been running it for three years now.”
The patients at The Med Station regularly hail from Glen Cove and Locust Valley, but also from Glen Head and Sea Cliff, according to Feliciano. Services offered include all primary care and occupational medicine- related services. In addition to providing care to walk-in urgent care and primary care patients, The Med Station holds contracts to perform all employee physical exams with bus companies, school districts, villages and towns and nursing homes.
“At our office, we always have three providers present,” Feliciano explained. “We have one doctor, one physician’s assistant and one nurse practitioner at the same time.” With regard to insurance, “it’s very tricky how [we] do it,” Feliciano said. However, while The Med Station is limited in its ability to bill an insurance company for the entire amount of an urgent care visit, it accepts almost all insurances.
But business as usual at The Med Station became not as usual during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. “We are doing our best to try and control the spread,” Feliciano said. “All healthcare facilities are more susceptible to contract viruses. Not everyone who visits a grocery store is sick, while 75 percent of people who come in to see us are sick.” Even with The Med Station’s extensive efforts to keep the virus at bay -- which include utilizing patient cars as waiting areas, advocating for telemedicine, using only two of the office’s five exam rooms to encourage social distancing and sanitizing the rooms between appointments -- the pandemic effected the Feliciano family on a personal level when both Feliciano and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
While Debbie continued to see patients via Telemedicine, Feliciano remained at the office, managing the business and in-person patients. Eventually, both tested positive for antibodies, but not without dueling quarantine periods. In addition, half of the staff at The Med Station came down with the virus due to their collective exposure.
In classic style, The Med Station never closed for a day throughout the height of the pandemic. Its only recent closure came as a result of a power outage due to Tropical Storm Isaias.
Through all of the pandemic-related trials, managing a business, commuting and taking care of a family, Feliciano remains committed to the local community as an active member of North Shore Biz Network, the Gold Coast Business Association, the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce and the Locust Valley Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he volunteers the first aid tent at Glen Cove Youth Soccer games, and he arrives with his children in tow to help him work the tent -- “so they could learn the altruistic part of medicine.” Perhaps most importantly, Feliciano has served as the coach of his son’s soccer teams for over ten years.
In addition to weathering the pandemic, The Med Station increased its reach in the community and proudly opened a second location in Glen Head on March 22, 2021. With the exception of X-Ray services, all services offered in the Locust Valley location are also offered in Glen Head.
When asked his favorite part of the North Shore community, Feliciano said, “This community is very tight-knit. Generally, everybody helps each other. I see that on Facebook. I haven’t seen that on the South Shore.” In addition to social media, Feliciano says that he learns of local good deeds from his patients. “They talk about how they help each other,” he said.
The Med Station
Locust Valley:
480 Forest Avenue
Locust Valley, NY 11560
Glen Head:
677 Glen Cove Avenue
Glen Head, NY 11545
(516) 759-5406
[email protected]
www.themedstationpc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/themedstationpc
Ronnie Thyben - Community Advocate
Ronnie Thyben welcomed retirement nine years ago.
But retirement signaled the start of an entirely new vocational career for Thyben, who has lived in Glen Head for the past 41 years with her husband, Roger. After attending the Gold Coast Business Association’s Fall Festival, where she visited the Glen Garden Club’s Membership Drive, she enthusiastically joined the Garden Club. As a testament to her hard work and dedication to her community, nine years later, Thyben is the president of Glen Garden Club.
“Each Spring and Winter, we plant at Wansor Park (across from Ciro's Pizza), the window boxes at the bank, Glen Head Motors, around the railroad station at, A+ signs, Worth Repeating, the library and Gaynor Park (the soccer field behind the community center),” Thyben explained. “We have a committee of wonderful, dedicated ladies who volunteer each season.”
The Glen Garden Club holds two fundraisers every year, which each expect about 125-150 guests. The proceeds from the events benefit a plethora of organizations, including the North Shore Land Alliance, Old Westbury Gardens and Friends of Cedarmere Garden Restoration.
Thyben’s involvements did not stop with the Garden Club. In 2015, Thyben joined the Gold Coast Business Association, a group she now sits on the board of and recently co-chaired a fundraiser for. She combined her passions for both the Garden Club and the Business Association when she found out that the Wansor Park sprinklers were the financial responsibility of the Business Association. Thanks to Thyben’s efforts and exemplary follow-up with then-New York American Water, she was able to come to an agreement on behalf of the Business Association that would allow the sprinklers to remain running, without the Business Association having to foot the bill.
But her pet project in the association came in 2018 and 2019, once the community discovered that the American flags that traditionally hung on the poles on Glen Head Road did not surface for Memorial Day. With the replacement poles that were erected by PSE&G, there were no brackets installed for the flags.
The Gold Coast Business Association formed a Flag Committee in 2018 for the purposes of installing flags on the new poles, with Thyben at its helm.
“I didn’t want to disappoint the veterans, the Gold Star mothers and the community. Having the flags up for Memorial Day is a happy thing, especially during this time.”
The process of restoring the flags came with a great deal of red tape. “When I started to find out how to put the brackets on the PSE&G posts, I was sent from pillar to post and reached the wrong person every time,” Thyben explained. “Then, finally, I spoke to someone at PSE&G. PSE&G sent an application for permission for the Business Association to put brackets on the poles. “
The process, which took two years in all, went on to involve the Town of Oyster Bay (TOB). Thyben worked in tandem with the TOB Highway Department, which was “very easy to work with,” Thyben said. “When I found the right people, it all fell into place. It was very easy in the last two weeks. They were very cooperative, very kind, very patient with me.”
The actual flags were purchased by the Gold Coast Business Association from Glen Head Hardware, with help from a generous discount. They were placed on the poles by the Highway Department. Thyben, accompanied by her husband, Roger, Christopher and Evelyn Hole and young community members Sofie and Brian Kraupner, took the old flags off the poles.
The flags will remain on the poles until June 14th, for Flag Day, on which the American Legion will hold its annual flag burning ceremony. The mailbox in front of the American Legion, supplied by Bill Manfredonia and which is painted to look like the flag, is used to collect old flags from members of the community. The ceremony is held every year, but this year, will not include invited guests due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thankfully, the Coronavirus pandemic has not affected the progress of the flag project, as well as other outdoor projects in the community started by the Glen Garden Club.
To make this accomplishment even more sentimental for Thyben, she will also celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary on Flag Day. “I’ve been in Glen Head for 79 years,” she said. “People are so kind. It’s easy to be here.”
But retirement signaled the start of an entirely new vocational career for Thyben, who has lived in Glen Head for the past 41 years with her husband, Roger. After attending the Gold Coast Business Association’s Fall Festival, where she visited the Glen Garden Club’s Membership Drive, she enthusiastically joined the Garden Club. As a testament to her hard work and dedication to her community, nine years later, Thyben is the president of Glen Garden Club.
“Each Spring and Winter, we plant at Wansor Park (across from Ciro's Pizza), the window boxes at the bank, Glen Head Motors, around the railroad station at, A+ signs, Worth Repeating, the library and Gaynor Park (the soccer field behind the community center),” Thyben explained. “We have a committee of wonderful, dedicated ladies who volunteer each season.”
The Glen Garden Club holds two fundraisers every year, which each expect about 125-150 guests. The proceeds from the events benefit a plethora of organizations, including the North Shore Land Alliance, Old Westbury Gardens and Friends of Cedarmere Garden Restoration.
Thyben’s involvements did not stop with the Garden Club. In 2015, Thyben joined the Gold Coast Business Association, a group she now sits on the board of and recently co-chaired a fundraiser for. She combined her passions for both the Garden Club and the Business Association when she found out that the Wansor Park sprinklers were the financial responsibility of the Business Association. Thanks to Thyben’s efforts and exemplary follow-up with then-New York American Water, she was able to come to an agreement on behalf of the Business Association that would allow the sprinklers to remain running, without the Business Association having to foot the bill.
But her pet project in the association came in 2018 and 2019, once the community discovered that the American flags that traditionally hung on the poles on Glen Head Road did not surface for Memorial Day. With the replacement poles that were erected by PSE&G, there were no brackets installed for the flags.
The Gold Coast Business Association formed a Flag Committee in 2018 for the purposes of installing flags on the new poles, with Thyben at its helm.
“I didn’t want to disappoint the veterans, the Gold Star mothers and the community. Having the flags up for Memorial Day is a happy thing, especially during this time.”
The process of restoring the flags came with a great deal of red tape. “When I started to find out how to put the brackets on the PSE&G posts, I was sent from pillar to post and reached the wrong person every time,” Thyben explained. “Then, finally, I spoke to someone at PSE&G. PSE&G sent an application for permission for the Business Association to put brackets on the poles. “
The process, which took two years in all, went on to involve the Town of Oyster Bay (TOB). Thyben worked in tandem with the TOB Highway Department, which was “very easy to work with,” Thyben said. “When I found the right people, it all fell into place. It was very easy in the last two weeks. They were very cooperative, very kind, very patient with me.”
The actual flags were purchased by the Gold Coast Business Association from Glen Head Hardware, with help from a generous discount. They were placed on the poles by the Highway Department. Thyben, accompanied by her husband, Roger, Christopher and Evelyn Hole and young community members Sofie and Brian Kraupner, took the old flags off the poles.
The flags will remain on the poles until June 14th, for Flag Day, on which the American Legion will hold its annual flag burning ceremony. The mailbox in front of the American Legion, supplied by Bill Manfredonia and which is painted to look like the flag, is used to collect old flags from members of the community. The ceremony is held every year, but this year, will not include invited guests due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thankfully, the Coronavirus pandemic has not affected the progress of the flag project, as well as other outdoor projects in the community started by the Glen Garden Club.
To make this accomplishment even more sentimental for Thyben, she will also celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary on Flag Day. “I’ve been in Glen Head for 79 years,” she said. “People are so kind. It’s easy to be here.”