Joseph M. Balcuk managed to launch a new game company, manufacture products, and secure more than 150 retail outlets nationally, all during the last year of his self-funded venture.
And now, the Farmingdale High School and Adelphi University graduate is about to see his efforts on a national stage.
"It is an unbelievable experience to present my games to buyers that have the power to reach the masses," said Balcuk, 36, a Farmingdale class of 1994 graduate. "This is what every inventor dreams."
Balcuk began by building a grassroots game company, RoosterFin Inc., and released four new trademarked family games - "PongCano," "Shufflin' Feet," "Monkeys Up,", and "Masheroo."
He brought his games to the Toy Preview convention in Dallas recently, and the Toy Industry Association's annual Toy Fair at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Feb. 10-13, 2013 in New York. Each show brings in the likes of Toys R Us, and Walgreens among all other major worldwide retailers.
PongCano and Shufflin' Feet already received Creative Child Magazine Awards and are now available for purchase on Amazon.
After graduating from Farmingdale, he received a BS in Mathematics from Adelphi University and an MS in Integrated Mathematics from Dowling College. Then, he began his own business. He now lives in Moriches in Suffolk County, but family members still reside in Farmingdale.
Balcuk's vision is to bring families and friends together around the table. "The toy and game industry is giving me great opportunity to bring my vision to fruition," said Balcuk. "I pinch myself every time I wake up."
Source:
Dowd, Joe. “Farmingdale Graduate Enters World Stage of Gaming.” Farmingdale, NY Patch, Patch, 23 Jan. 2013, patch.com/new-york/farmingdale/farmingdale-graduate-enters-world-stage-of-gaming
Bar-Boy was originally created by Edward De Felice Sr. and his wife Josephine in 1966.
They began by selling out of a station wagon, then a garage, then a store on Broadway in Massapequa. The Farmingdale store officially opened in 1975.
It is now co-owned by their sons, Edward Jr. and Leonardo De Felice. It began as a go-to resource for Long Island Restaurants since their 1966 start, but now the sons have expanded it to non-commercial use as well.
Source:
“Bar-Boy in Farmingdale.” Newsday, Newsday, https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-shopping/food-shop-bar-boy-in-farmingdale-1.1716412
Barth's Bakery was located at 222 Main Street. It was owned by Gattlob & Pauline Barth. They lived in the apartment above the bakery. It was sold in the late 1930s.
Robert James Bartlett was born on May 18, 1957 in Brooklyn, NY. He is an American comedian, actor impressionist, and writer who gained widespread fame on the radio show “Imus in the Morning.”
He graduated Farmingdale High School in 1975.
Bartlett started in stand-up comedy at Richard M. Dixon's White House Inn, a talent showcase club on Long Island. While working there, he met Eddie Murphy, and together, they formed two-thirds of the improvisational trio, “The Identical Triplets.” After the two separated, he worked at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City, Mohegan Sun, and Foxwoods Resort Casino.
He made his Broadway debut in More to Love, which he wrote and starred in, with Dana Reeve and Joyce Van Patten. In 1999, he starred in Tabletop, for which he received a Drama Desk Award. On Network Television, Bartlett had a recurring role as Defense Attorney Milton Schoenfeld on “Law & Order SVU.” He wrote and starred in the Public Television special, “Rob Bartlett's Not For Profit T.V. Special,” which was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won for Best Writing and Best Entertainment Program.
In 1986, Bartlett became a regular in-studio guest of Don Imus at radio station WNBC 66AM. When the station was sold and the Imus in The Morning Program moved to the WFAN studios in Astoria, Rob became a contract player, and has since written and performed some of the show's popular cast of characters.
Sources:
“Rob Bartlett.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bartlett
“Welcome to Robshow.com, Official Site of Rob Bartlett.” robshow.com
One of Farmingdale’s earliest industries was the lumber company started by Mr. La Vine. It was started in the latter half of the nineteenth century and was located on the east side of Main Street, on the corner of Rose and Richard Streets. The building was across from the Main Street School. In the 1880s, Richard Bausch bought the business and turned it into a family business that employed his seven sons. When he opened the building, he wrote on it, “Bausch and Sons, Dealers in Lumber and mason’s materials and ladders, manufacturers of picture frames and mouldings.” This variety of offering required a large amount of space, so the factory was located in an open field and surrounded by piles of lumber and materials.
Adolph Bausch bought the business from his father and kept it as a family business, employing some of his brothers. He also employed many Farmingdale residents. When he took over the business, Adolph expanded it by opening a window sash factory and then a factory that made the ornate gilded picture frames that were popular in the late 219th and early 20th centuries. By 1909, the business employed 100 people and had an annual payroll of $36,000. At some point, the company changed names to Bausch Picture Frame and Moulding Manufacturing Company. In 1910, the company moved to a newly constructed brick building on Eastern Parkway where it continued to manufacture picture frames and moulding. This building was said to be extremely close to the train station for shipping purposes, and located at 361 Eastern Parkway.
By 1917, Lawrence Sperry bought the property near the Main Street School. By the 1950s, the Bausch factory on Eastern Parkway was housing another company, therefore the company eventually dissolved.
Sources:
Hanc, John. “Tracing the trail of a house's history.” Newsday, Newsday, 15 July 2004, www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/tracing-the-trail-of-a-house-s-history-1.733876
Junior Historical Society of Farmingdale. Farmingdale's Story: Farms to Flight. The Society, 1956
“Many Proofs of Progress at Hicksville and Farmingdale.” 3 Sep 1911, Page 23 - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at Newspapers.Com. Brooklyn Public Library, http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53899087
John S. Baylis was born in West Neck in 1888. He was orphaned at age 2 and educated at the Melville School.
He began working at the Bank of Farmingdale as a clerk in 1909. He was then promoted to assistant cashier and then cashier in 1918.
He married Ruth A. Van Sise in 1912.
Source:
Hazelton, Henry I. The Boroughs of Brooklyn & Queens Counties of Nassau & Suffolk 1609-1924. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1925
The Beau Sejour Hotel was built in 1853 by William Hauxhurst. It was purchased by French chef Bernard Pauchon in 1908. He sold it to his sister-in law Elizabeth Wilson and her husband Harry in 1917. The Hotel closed its doors in 1975.
The Beau, was the first stop off the Turnpike and had all the facilities needed by the carriage trade traveler for an overnight stay. There was a four-unit carriage house and a barn with a hayloft and a half a dozen stalls for the horses.
The Beau Sejour continued catering to the 'carriage trade' under the hands of Edward and Paul Wilson until it's closing in 1974. Among the early guests were the Vanderbilts and their friends the Astors.
Its location is now a National Landmark.
Source:
“Beau Sejour - 1908 - 1972.” Beau Sejour - 1908 - 1972 - Central Park Historical Society Encyclopedia, http://www.bethpagehistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Beau_Sejour_-_1908_-_1972
Willet Bedell enlisted in 1863 in New York City, NY. He was 21 years old. He was mustered in on September 2, 1863 with the 41st Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He served as a private in Company E. He mustered out with his company on December 9, 1865 in City Point, Virginia.
Source:
New York State Military Museum
The mill was built in 1888 on Stewart Avenue. George Benkert inherited the mill. The mill would press apples and turn it into cider until the 1940s. George Benkert was a charter member of St. Paul Lutheran Church.
George's son, George Benkert Jr. was drafted in 1918 and died shortly after being shipped overseas. The VFW Post in Farmingdale is named after him.
Bernie's Army & Navy Store was located at 282 Main Street. The store opened in 1940 and was run by Jacob Bernstein. After he passed away, Bernie Bernstein took over managing the business. Before moving to Farmingdale, Bernie lived in Sayville and Islip.
Bernie served four years of active service in World War II in the US Army. He received commendations for valorous service during his time.
The store carried a full line of work clothes and men's furnishings.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
The Bert and Bob Shoe store opened in 1950 and was located at 202 Main Street. Bert Mann moved to Farmingdale and opened the store January of that year. His brother Bob was a partner in the business. They had another store at 26 Broadway in Massaepequa, which Bob managed.
The store was redecorated and they added to their stock some of the most well-known brands including Florscheim, Stride-Rite, and others.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
Edwin Binder was the chair of the Finance Committee of the USFD #22 School Board. He was President of the Farmingdale Civic Association. He was part of the battle against Central Park over which town would have their name changed to Bethpage. Central Park won the battle and the name was changed in 1936. He was a member of the Farmingdale Liberty Party and acted as their Treasurer.
He was one of the members of the Farmingdale Commuters League that were successful in getting the South Farmingdale Railroad Station opened on the Babylon Express Line.
He was a member of the Joint Citizens Beach Committee in 1932. The committee’s goal was to defeat the efforts of the Long Island State Park Commission in buying a two mile strip of land near Jones Beach.
He was a partner at George F. Jones & Son, they were members of the New York Cotton, Coffee, Sugar, & Silk Exchange
Sources:
“Bethpage Plans Name Ceremony.” Nassau Daily Review. September 15, 1936
Edwin Binder Collection courtesy of the Farmingdale Public Library
“35 Civil Leaders Join Beach Fight.” Nassau Daily Review. October 24, 1932
Young, Philip. Golf for the People: Bethpage and the Black. AuthorHouse, 2000
James W. Blackmore was born in 1949. He originally hailed from Ozone Park, the son of Elizabeth and Robert Blackmore. He was the second of seven brothers and sisters and the only career firefighter in the family. He went to several colleges, but never finished his degree in education. He served in Vietnam in the Marine Corps from 1967 to 1971. He became a firefighter in 1977 and was cited for bravery five times.
When he was not battling fires, Lieutenant Blackmore was playing with his children in his backyard and spending time with his wife Susan. They had four children Sara, Jackie, Claire, and Brian.
Lieutenant Blackmore died in 1998 battling a five-alarm fire.
Source:
Ojito, Mirta. “Heroic Firefighter Remembered as Careful and Loving.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 June 1998, www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/nyregion/heroic-firefighter-remembered-as-careful-and-loving.html
Thomas Brawley enlisted in 1861 in East New York. He was 30 years old. He was mustered in on December 6, 1861 with the 90th Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He served as a private in Company K and was promoted to Corporal on January 1, 1864. He reenlisted as a veteran on February 20, 1864. He was wounded in action on October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia. He was transferred to Company A on November 28, 1864. He mustered out with his company on February 9, 1866 in Savannah, Georgia.
Source:
New York State Military Museum
Walter Brem graduated from Farmingdale High School 1955. Mr. Brem continued his education at SUNY Brockport and studied health and physical education, and he received his masters at Stonybrook University. After playing three sports in high school, Mr. Brem became the JV football coach for nineteen years and the JV soccer coach for ten years. He also was the winter track coach and played a key role in starting the program.
The school now holds Walter Brem track meets, an idea started by Coach Katie Dunne and Coach Walter Henning in honor of Mr. Brem’s work and dedication.
Mr. Brem was also the recipient of the National Scholastic Athletic Foundation-Allen Dawson Award in 2006. As a member of the community, Mr. Brem works with SEPTA Splash program, the Special Olympics, and has been a part of the Farmingdale Youth Council for 63 years.
Source:
Corey, Elizabeth Pearl. “Welcome to the Wall of Fame.” Paper Lion, paperlion.org/1936/school-news/welcome-to-the-wall-of-fame
In 1855, Ephraim Smith had one of two brickmaking establishments. Smith purchased the property in 1848 and began the brickworks shortly after. Bethpage was a good choice due to the clay being free from refuse matter. In addition, there was a good source of sand and water on the property. The brick yards were purchased by Alexander Turney Stewart in 1870.
Stewart worked with the Flushing & North Side Railroad Company, a rival of the LIRR to build the Central Rail Road. This rail had services from the Brick Yards to Garden City. Mr. Stewart was responsible for creating many of the buildings in Garden City including the Garden City Hotel. After his death, his heirs kept the property until 1905. The company was then incorporated into Meyer’s Brickyards, an adjacent company. Martin Meyer was a major land owner and builder in Farmingdale. His brickyard was called The Queens County Brick Manufacturing Company. After that, the site was owned by the Long Island Brick Company.
Jotham Post of Glen Head owned Post Brick Company. In 1924, Frances Gaynor became a partner. He took over the business in 1928 and in 1936, he purchased the land in Farmingdale. The company was then re-named Nassau Brick Company. The company closed in 1981. The Town of Oyster Bay acquired the property for use with its adjoining landfill site. At its height, the brick works produced 100,000 bricks a day, 6 days a week. In 1984, two structures still remained in place: the office, which was built between 1860-1875 and the former machine shop.
Sources:
“Bethpage Branch.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethpage_Branch
Carr, Thomas. Plainview-Old Bethpage. Arcadia Publishing, 2017
“Gaynor, Frances.” Long Island- Notable Families from Nassau & Suffolk Counties (Requested Names), http://bklyn-genealogy-info.stevemorse.org/LI/LI.Notable.Requests.html
Hammond, Gary R. “The Saga of L.I.’s Most Prolific Brickworks.” Long Island Heritage, June 1984
THE STEWART LINE 1, https://www.arrts-arrchives.com/about1.html
Abner Brown was born in Watertown, NY on June 29, 1861. He moved to Vermont before coming to New York City. He worked for meat packers Swift & Company.
When he arrived in Farmingdale, he opened Brown's Hotel. It became one of the best known eating places on Long Island. After he sold the hotel, he opened an automobile salesroom in Amityville.
He died suddenly on April 23, 1925.
Source:
"A. M. Brown Died Yesterday at Home." Farmingdale Post. April 24, 1925
Budget Corner was located at 294 Main Street. The store was run by Rose Nielson and Ethel DeVoe. It was originally located on the corner of Front and Main Street, but the building was torn down to make room for new stores. They moved to the Main Street location in 1949.
Ethel was the manager of the shop, while Rose ran the business. The shop carried dresses of all types.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
The daughter of Mildred and Joseph Stern, Barbara Stern Burstin was raised in Farmingdale.. Aaron Stern, her grandfather, was one of the first Jews to settle in Farmingdale, and operated Stern's Pickle Factory.
Burstin earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in 1962 and went on to gain her master's in history education from Columbia University in 1963 prior to acquiring her doctorate in history from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986.
She is an adjunct professor in the history departments at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. She has published several books and articles relating to the Holocaust and the history of Jews in Pittsburgh.
Burstin is a past chairwoman of the UJF Foundation and a past vice chairwoman of the UJF, chaired the 2004 UJF Community Campaign, which raised more than $11.7 million — the highest total raised in federation history to that point. She is also past chairwoman of the Holocaust Commission of the Holocaust Center of the United Jewish Federation, a past president of the Rose and Ed Berman Hillel Jewish University Center and a past president of the American Jewish Committee.
Sources:
“Barbara Stern Burstin.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Mar. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Stern_Burstin
“A New Challenge.” TribLIVE, 11 Dec. 2005, archive.triblive.com/news/a-new-challenge