The Main Street Deli was opened in the 1880s by Mr. Gilson. He ran it for 25 years before selling it to Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith kept it for 25 years before selling it to Henry Morhrmann.
Herb Weiss and Jules Garver bought it in 1955.
It was located at 252 Main Street. The location was also a grocer, Fong's Restaurant, and Jade Palace. It is now the Whiskey Down Diner.
The Main Street Yogurt Shoppe opened on June 13, 1984. It was owned by Bruce Scali, Frank Selario, and Robert Johnston. It was located at 319 Main Street.
Its main purpose was to offer healthy, nutrition oriented food, serving fruits and vegetables. It also offered frozen yogurt and tofu. They offered ssecial drinks as well as old-fashioned egg creams and homemade lemonade.
Customers could order their food to go or eat in the cafe.
Source:
Paolillo, Sue. "A New Yogurt Shop in Town." Farmingdale Observer. August 9, 1984
Frank Manker Jr. opened Manker's Quality Flowers on Merritts Road in 1915.
In 1990, he sold 4.1 acres of his land to the Farmingdale Public Library for its new building to be constructed.
In 2012, the flower shop was sold to the library and knocked down to construct an extra parking lot for the llibrary.
Ferdinand Smith Mann was born on October 14, 1893 to John and Ida Mann.
Ferdinand S. Mann enlisted in the service on December 5, 1917; he served overseas from March 13, 1918 to April 5, 1919. During his time in the service, Smith was assigned to the Company I 305th Infantry. He was then reassigned to the Company I 103rd Infantry until his discharge. Ferdinand S. Mann was honorably discharged on April 28, 1919.
After his time in the service, Ferdinand S. Smith married Grace. He worked a mechanic. Mann passed away on May 3, 1972; he is buried at the Powell Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
Sources:
Ancestry
Fold3
ND 7/24
Lester Vincent Marino, a veteran electrician, spent most of his working life in the World Trade Center.
He was there when the towers went up in the 1970s, and, except for occasions when Forest Electric of Manhattan might call on him for other assignments, he continued working there through the years.
Marino, 57, a lifelong Long Islander who was born in Hempstead, worked at the Cantor Fitzgerald offices on the 105th floor. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for 39 years. He was one of the local's 16 members who were lost in the terrorist attack.
A genial, outgoing man, Marino, who lived in North Massapequa, had another life as an outdoorsman in his leisure hours. He would trail his 20-foot fishing boat from Oyster Bay Harbor to Fire Island, usually with the assistance of his four children.
An active member of the Eastern Anglers since the 1970s, he enjoyed swapping yarns with his fishing buddies at meetings in John J. Burns Town Park in Massapequa, where he usually launched his boat. And when the fishing season was over, he looked forward to deer hunting in the Catskills.
Source:
McCarthy, TC. “Lester V. Marino - ND Feature Grid.” Newsday, 7 Sept. 2016, projects.newsday.com/feature-grid/block/lester-v-marino
Adolph F. Marten was born in approximately 1889 in Germany. He served in the 308th Infantry 77th Division.
He married Anna Bell on November 16, 1919. He worked in a pickle factory as as a chauffeur for New York City Sanitation.
Adolph Marten died on April 28, 1942. He is buried at the Amityville Cemetery.
Source:
Ancestry
NK 10/1/24
Mary's Pizza & Pasta is located at 611 Main Street. It's owned by Bill Jansson. When it was created, he and his partners wanted to make a comfortable & affordable restaurant what was family and kid friendly. There is another restaurant with the same name in Islip Terrace.
Source:
Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce
In 1920, a group of master masons met in Arcanum Hall on Main Street. The purpose was to petition the Grand Lodge of the State of New York to form a Masonic Lodge in Farmingdale to be known as the Bethpage Lodge. The petition was granted on November 3, 1920. The first officers of the lodge were: Harry Ketcham, George Seaman, Alexander Corr, Jesse Merritt, Thomas Dunkirk, Norm Sullivan, Walter Schiel, George Wild, Ernest Hackwitz, Henry Mower, and Herbert Cobb. On January 21, 1921, the female Order of the Eastern Star was assembled with thirty-five women admitted as members.
At the first meeting, there were 34 petitions for membership. It first class of candidates received their Master Mason Degree on February 4, 1921. The Lodge received its charter on June 11, 1921. That same month, it purchased the building at 125 Main Street for $6,000. In July of that year, the adjoining lot was purchased. During World War II, the Lodge operated a service center on Main Street to have entertainment for servicemen. The Lodge celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1945 and the resonation of the second floor happened that year. The Lodge purchased an organ in 1949. Game rooms in the basement were finished in the summer of 1954. In 1955, an annual church service and communion breakfast was started as well as the Bethpage Blood Bank.
In 1961, a committee was formed to expand the Temple or build a new one. In 1965, the Lodge purchased a parcel of land on Route 109 and a building committee was formed to draw up plans for a new building. In 1971, due to variance issues, that land was sold and the Wagner property on Conklin Street was purchased on January 7, 1972. That land was sold on May 12, 1972 and the land at 197 Fulton Street was purchased. The cornerstone was laid on September 16, 1973. The dedication happened the next month. The building was torn down in 2002. The location is currently the home of the Elizabeth Ann Gardens condominiums.
Source:
Bethpage Lodge No. 975, Farmingdale, NY, 1973
NK 12/6/22
Captain Kathy Mazza grew up in Massapequa. After she graduated from Nassau Community College, she was an operating room nurse at two New York hospitals, the Long Island Jewish Hospital and St. Francis Hospital. In 1987, after ten years of working as a cardiothoracic nurse in the operating room, she enrolled in the Port Authority Police Academy. She patrolled JFK Airport for a year, worked in the central police pool for one year, then returned to JFK Airport for the next six years.
She was promoted to sergeant in 1994 and was assigned to the Police Academy for three years. She was promoted to lieutenant in December 1998 while at the academy. Her next assignment was the Staten Island Bridges/New Jersey Marine Terminals command. In April 2000, she became one of only two female captains in the Port Authority, which at the time had fourteen male captains.
During her career with the Port Authority, she supervised the agency’s first-aid programs and certified first responder and EMT training. She also taught emergency medical service programs at the Port Authority Police Academy. In 1999, the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York City named Captain Mazza its Basic Life Support Provider of the Year.
On September 11, 2001, she joined her colleagues at the scene. When there was a bottleneck of people at the revolving doors in the North Tower, she shot out the floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the mezzanine. Her action allowed hundreds of people to escape. She was last seen with Lieutenant Robert Cirri as they were helping carry a woman down the stairs when the building collapsed.
Source:
“Captain Kathy N. Mazza.” Port Authority Police Benevolent Association Inc., 15 Mar. 2020, papba.org/fallen-officers/captain-kathy-n-mazza
Benjamin F. McCabe was born on September 11, 1894. He enlisted on July 23, 1918 and was discharged on September 14, 1918. He was part of the 152nd Depot Brigade.
He married Fanita Buckley on July 11, 1921. They moved to New Jersey, where he was a pharmacist.
Benjamin McCabe died in 1976 in Florida.
Source:
Ancestry
NK 10/1/24
McCourt and Trudden was founded in 1927 by Hugh Trudden.
It was originally established in the Richmond Hill Section of Queens. After Hugh’s passing, his wife Hannah Trudden took over and eventually married Jim McCourt. Hugh and Hannah’s sons, Eugene and Donald, eventually took over.
In 1959, the sons sold the Richmond Hill location and purchased the Talmadge Funeral Home in Farmingdale, NY
One of Eugene’s sons, Joseph took over in the late 1980s. Joseph served as Mayor from 1992 to 2004. Joseph was a member of Farmingdale Fire Department and was a Suffolk County Police Detective for over 20 years and eventually retired in 1993 to fully focus on Funeral Home.
Funeral Home expansion and parking facilities took place in 1990. Joseph’s sons, Joseph Jr. and William, continued the family tradition and became licensed funeral directors in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
After Joseph Sr.'s death and the sudden death of Joseph Jr., Joseph Sr.’s wife Rosemary and son William continued the family business
Source:
“Our History.” McCourt & Trudden Funeral Home, Inc., http://www.mccourtandtrudden.org/Our-Story.html
McKenna Hardware was located at 459 Main Street. It was owned by Jim and Henrietta McKenna. Jim lived at the Nazareth Trade School and learned to play trumpet there. He became Director of the Mid-Island Band and played many parades and affairs in Farmingdale.
Henrietta worked at the Farmingdale Individual Laundry and spent her spare time working at the store. Jim worked at Liberty Aircraft starting in 1938. Henrietta's sister Elizabeth worked at the store during the day to help them out.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
Henrietta Hinch McKenna was born in Woodbury. Her father, John Hinch, was a Superintendent of Highways for the Village of Farmingdale. The Hinch family moved to Farmingdale in 1917.
Henrietta McKenna attended the Farmingdale Elementary School. She began doing errands for Wolff's Delicatessen when she was 10 years old. She then worked for Jorden's Delicatessen and then Farmingdale Laundry. She became supervisor there and worked 32 years until her retirement.
She was married to former Village Clerk James J. McKenna.
She passed away June 3, 1981.
Soouce:
"Henrietta McKenna." Farmingdale Observer. June 11, 1981
William McVeagh was born in 1838 in New York City. He enlisted on August 21, 1862 in Oyster Bay, NY. He was 24 years old. He was mustered in on September 11, 1862 with the 145th Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He served as a private in Company K. He was discharged for disability on July 30, 1863. He was discharged due to a gunshot wound to the lower jaw during battle in Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863.
William died on December 17, 1906
Sources:
Find a Grave
New York State Military Museum
Raymond Meisenheimer was a firefighter for the FDNY Rescue Co. 3 in Bronx-Harlem. He began his service as a volunteer firefighter, paramedic and EMT instructor in East Farmingdale, but eventually in 1981, he joined the FDNY. Throughout his career, Meisenheimer accomplished many tasks, including becoming a leading technical rescue expert and a member of the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Team. He was also in charge of the curriculum at the Suffolk Fire Academy and at one point, he was a captain at the Hauppauge Fire Department.
Just a few weeks shy of retirement, Meisenheimer was just getting off shift when the attack began and he immediately returned to duty and jumped on a truck headed for the towers in his civilian clothes. Meisenheimer died at the age of 46 on September 11, 2001 after entering the South Tower and left behind widow, Joanne and two daughters, Lauren and Kaitlynn.
Sources:
Firefighter Raymond Meisenheimer: Better angels. Better Angels | the firefighters of 9/11. (2014, October 20). Retrieved November 7, 2022, from http://betterangels911.com/firefighter-raymond-meisenheimer/ Masters, M. (2021, September 10). Spring Hill SISTERS remember their
New York City FIREFIGHTER father who gave life for others on 9/11. Williamson Home Page. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.williamsonhomepage.com/brentwood/spring-hill-sisters-remember-their-new-york-city-firefighter-father-who-gave-life-for-others/article_adde9f56-1278-11ec-ac93-df3ddc277f5b.html
Moore, E. (2001, October 10). A Rescue Expert Close to Retirement. Newsday, p. A32.
Raymond Meisenheimer OBITUARY (2001). Legacy.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://obits.cleveland.com/us/obituaries/cleveland/name/raymond-meisenheimer-obituary?pid=146243
Raymond Meisenheimer. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. (2020, September 30). Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighter/raymond-meisenheimer
Merritt Delicatessen was opened in 1956, and is family owned and operated. It is still currently operating and is located at 3 Northwest Drive, Suite 5, in Farmingdale. It is located in the same shopping center as CVS Pharmacy and Best Market.
Source:
Boyle, Chris. “Family-Owned Merritt Delicatessen Offers Satisfying Sandwiches.” Farmingdale, NY Patch, Patch, 17 Feb. 2011, https://patch.com/new-york/farmingdale/family-owned-merritt-delicatessen-offers-satisfying-sandwiches
Jesse Merritt was born on September 4, 1889 in Westchester County. Mr. Merritt received his education at the Friends Academy, the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, and Brooklyn Law School. From 1917 until 1924, he was Clerk of the Nassau County Board of Supervisors.
He was a veteran of the 7th New York Infantry Regiment (107th Federal), Company C, which participated in the Mexican Border affair in 1916. During World War I, he was attached to G-3, 27th Division and served in France and Belgium. He worked on the division's war diary. He received three awards: the Victory Medal with three stars, the Cross of Honor, and the Mexican Border Medal.
On April 3, 1917, Jesse Merritt married Mabel Elva Witte. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt had two daughters: Jean, born in 1920 and Jessica, born in 1924. Jesse and Mabel established The Farmingdale Post in 1920. They published the paper together until 1934, when it was sold to Griscom Publications.
Mr. Merritt was the historian of the village of Farmingdale in 1920, and first historian of Nassau County in 1936. He was the author of three books: Two Hundredth Anniversary of Matinecock Meeting, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1724-1924; Essays on Walt Whitman; and Story of Nassau County, New York.
He was a lifetime of the New York State Historical Association. He became councilor of the Long Island Historical Society in 1936 and was a member of the Friends Historical Association and honorary curator of the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College. Mr. Merritt was also chairman of the Joint Committee of Records for the New York Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends. He was an honorary member of the George Washington Society of Alexandria, Virginia, and of Phi Alpha Theta, a national honor society in history. Other memberships include: the New York Historical Society, the American Lodge of Research (New York); the Colonial Historical Society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (New York City), the American Association for State and Local History, the American Historical Association, the Bibliographical Society of America, the Typophiles, and the Grolier Club. He was a director of the Nassau County Historical Society.
Jesse Merritt died in 1957.
Sources:
Junior Historical Society of Farmingdale. Farmingdale's Story: Farms to Flight. The Society, 1956
Long Island: A History of Two Great Counties: Nassau and Suffolk. Volume III. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1949
Long Island- Notable Families from Nassau & Suffolk Counties (Requested Names), bklyn-genealogy-info.stevemorse.org/LI/LI.Notable.Requests.htm
John C. Merritt enlisted on August 18, 1862 in New York City, NY. He was 18 years old. He was mustered in on September 8, 1862 with the 127th Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He served as a private in Company A. He mustered out with his company on June 30, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina.
John C. Merritt was born on May 1, 1844. His father was also John Merritt, who was the secretary of the Bethpage Turnpike Company which built the Bethpage Turnpike. His brothers were Jesse and Benjamin Merritt.
He attended the old Bethpage School before attending board school at Crosswicks, New Jersey. He was the Assessor for the Town of Oyster Bay, a member of the Nassau County Farm Bureau, and Clerk of the Bethpage Friends Meeting.
He was married to Eliza Hicks Merritt and they had two children. John passed away ion November 27, 1920 at the age of 77.
Sources:
Ancestry
New York State Military Museum
Henry Meyers enlisted on August 14, 1862. He was 22 years old. He mustered in on September 5, 1863 with the 119th Regiment, Company H of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in as a Sergeant, then returned to ranks. He was then promoted to Corporal and Sergeant and then returned to ranks once more. His company mustered out near Bladensburg, Maryland on June 7, 1865.
He was born December 29, 1839 and died on January 4, 1878. He is buried at the Bethpage United Methodist Church Cemetery. His grave lists him as Henry Meyer.
The 119th Regiment was recruited and organized at New York City in the summer of 1862, and was mustered in September for three years. They fought at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Atlanta campaign, and the battle of the Carolinas.
Sources:
Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society
Find a Grave
New York State Military Museum
James T. Michel was a practicing Doctor in Farmingdale for over 52 years. He was born in 1865 in Syracuse and died in 1938. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living alumnus of Syracuse University in Nassau County.
He moved to Farmingdale in 1895 and established his practice. He served as the Farmingdale Village’s health officer and the fire department surgeon. He also headed a company that built & sold over 100 homes in East Farmingdale.
In 1925, he established a clinic in the Village to treat pre-school age children. He was active in helping stamp out diphtheria in Farmingdale. Dr. Michel was the one of the organizers and the President of the Bank of Farmingdale.
He married Doris Stocking in 1889 and they had two children.
Sources:
“Dr. James Michel, L. I. Banker, Dies.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 21 Jan. 1938, bklyn.newspapers.com
“DR. JAMES F. MICHEL: President of Farmingdale Bank Practiced Medicine 52 Years.” Newsday, 22 Jan. 1938, search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/102689262/E9E58872B65247CFPQ/3?accountid=37884
Hazelton, Henry I. The Boroughs of Brooklyn & Queens Counties of Nassau & Suffolk 1609-1924. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1925
Mike Missakian's Shoe shop was located at 300 Main Street. Before opening that store, he had operated a shoe repair shop at 237 Main Street.
Mike was originally from Turkey and moved to the United States in 1923. Two years later, he opened his first shop in New York City.before moving to Freeport in 1928. In addition to selling shoes, he also repaired them as well.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
Charles M. Murphy was born in Brooklyn in 1870. Murphy was a short-track bicycle race specialist, winning national titles at distances of between one and five miles. In 1895, he had his most successful year and held seven world records, seventeen American records and twenty-nine state records. In 1896, he was invited to race in Europe, all expenses paid.
Riding a mile in a-minute-nineteen on a home trainer convinced him that, if he could ride in the dead air behind a steaming locomotive, he could easily match its pace. For a decade he tried to sell the railroad companies on his idea. Twelve years after he'd first had the idea, Hal Fullerton of the Long Island Railroad company bought into Murphy's dream. After talking to Fullerton about his idea, a contract was signed for an exhibition ride 48 hours later. The 29 year-old Murphy trained for two months with dumbbell weights, a jump rope, a stationary trainer, and light road work.
The LIRR laid more than two miles of pine track between Farmingdale and Babylon above the sleepers and between the rails. A steam engine was prepared, with a single carriage behind it. A hood was fitted over the back of the caboose, extending back about the length of Murphy's bicycle, shielding him on both sides. To stop him from riding into the rear of the train, a rubber-coated bar was fitted to the cab, high enough to let Murphy's front wheel pass beneath it, but low enough to act as a bumper for his handlebars. On the rear of the coach, a vertical white line was painted - this was to be Murphy's sole focus during the ride. If he would drift to the right or left of it, he'd go off the rails.
A little after five PM on June 21, 1899, Murphy made his first attempt to break the mile-a-minute barrier. He failed. He tried four more times. He failed each time. The best Murphy could do was a mile in sixty-four seconds because the LIRR's locomotive couldn't reach the required speed.
Nine days after his first attempt, on the last day of June, with a new, faster engine on the track between Farmingdale and Babylon, Murphy was ready to try again. He covered the mile in fifty-seven and four-fifth seconds. As soon as he passed the mile-marker, the train engineer shut off the steam and the locomotive slowed abruptly. Murphy didn't. Murphy reached out to the bar attached to the rear of the train. He was hauled, bike and all, onto the train. He said of that moment, “I lay motionless, face down, on the platform. I was all in. I was half-carried to a cot at the end of the car; the roar of the train was challenged by hysterical yells. Grown men hugged and kissed each-other. One man fainted and another went into hysterics, while I remained speechless on my back, ashen in colour and sore all over.”
After a short stint on the vaudeville circuit, he retired from cycling and became a member of the NYPD. That career ended in 1916, when he fractured his knee in a motorcycle crash. He died in 1950.
Sources:
Johnston, William. “Mile-A-Minute Murphy - The Way It Was.” Bicycle Long Island, www.bicyclelongisland.org/murphy/murphy.htm
McKay, Feargal. “The Legend Of Mile-A-Minute Murphy.” Podium Cafe, Podium Cafe, 2 Feb. 2011, www.podiumcafe.com/2011/2/2/1969835/the-legend-of-mile-a-minute-murphy
Woodland, Les. “Mile-A-Minute-Murphy.” Not Another Cycling Forum, notanothercyclingforum.net/bikereader/contributors/woodland/murphy.html
Dr. Tansar Mir received his Doctorate of Medicine with Recognition in Research from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with his Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience. Dr. Mir completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY and his residency/fellowship in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery with the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group through Nassau University Medical Center. Dr. Mir is a double board certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Mir’s extensive research experience includes serving as a research assistant in the lab of Richard A. Clark, PhD while attending medical school. Dr. Mir assisted in the research of wound healing and studying the complex interactions between glucose and the extracellular matrix proteins. Dr. Mir has also co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and produced posters for presentation at numerous conferences.
Dr. Mir understands the impact doctors can have serving the world community. As a volunteer, he has operated on children with congenital clefts of the lip, nose and palate and performed burn reconstruction surgeries on medical missions to the Philippines and Peru. International missionary work is something very dear to Dr. Mir and he hopes to continue to make many more future trips to underserved countries.
Source:
“Meet Dr. Tansar Mir.” Plastic Surgery | Manhattan | New York City, www.tmirmd.com/dr-tansar-mir-plastic-surgeon-new-york.php
Modern Art Decorators opened in 1943 and moved to 217 Main Street in 1944. It was owned by the Ricca family. It began as an interior decorating store, but Mrs. Ricca added a full line of gifts including cards for all occasions. Mr. Ricca also opened a floral designing store in Bayshore.
Source:
Farmingdale Post
Morris Karp moved from Lithuania and began a business in 1894. The family moved to Farmingdale and he and his son Leo opened Morris Karp & Son in 1927. The factory was located on Secatogue Avenue across from the railroad station. Leo and his wife lived in Farmingdale. Leo’s sister Rebecca married Isidore Wolly of Wolly’s Hardware. Leo’s son Charlie was born in Farmingdale in 1937.
Morris Karp & Son bought fertilizer from Armoff and then sold it to the local farmers. They also sold feed, grain, and hay. Leo did all the sales work while Morris stayed in the building. In the 1940’s the added to the building and began to manufacture fertilizer themselves. They sold to farmer, landscapers, sod growers, and nurseries. Places like Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, and West Point used Morris Karp fertilizer.
In the late 1950s, the added more to the building, making it 300 feet long. In the plant, they built a mixing machine. On the first floor, they would mix the chemical and place them on a scale until it reached a certain weight. Silver phosphate was poured into a hopper and everything was combined in the mixing machine to make the fertilizer. The finished fertilizer was poured through a hole in the floor into bins. After curing, it would then be put into different sized bags. The bags would be placed on conveyors and hand sewn. Nurseries would get paper bags and farmers would get bags that weighed 100-125 lbs. The bags would go out onto trucks or into storage.
In 1967, Leo Karp sold the business to Wagner Brothers and the fertilizer business was sold to Lebanon chemical. On June 2, 1985 the building, which wasn’t grounded, was hit by lightning. The lightning his an elevator shaft and burned down the ridge pole. The entire building burned down.
Source:
Interview with Charlie Karp
John Moschella began his career as a firefighter in Engine 257 Ladder 170 in Canarsie in 1990, where he quickly made lifelong friends and worked for 17 years. He was a lieutenant with Engine 287 in Elmhurst, Queens, and then captain with Engine 26 in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, otherwise known as the BatCave. He retired in 2017 due to illness.
Born in Staten Island, he moved to Farmingdale, where he graduated Farmingdale High School in 1984. He then became a 20 plus year resident of Long Beach. Moschella was the oldest of five children who grew up in a tight-knit family. He played baseball, football, hockey, and other sports as a kid. He was known as a talented basketball player on the FDNY team. His nickname was “Johnny Mush” due to his warm personality. He lit up a room with his personality and infectious smile, never had a bad word to say about anyone and had a heart of gold.
Moschella passed away in December of 2018 from a 9/11 related illness. In May of 2019, the corner of Rita Place and Crestwood Boulevard was re-named FDNY Captain John S. Moschella Way.
Sources:
Costello, Alex. “Long Island FIREFIGHTER Dies From 9/11-Related CANCER.” Long Beach, NY Patch, Patch, 10 Dec. 2018, patch.com/new-york/longbeach/long-island-firefighter-dies-9-11-related-cancer
DeSantis, Michael. “Farmingdale Street Dedicated In Memory Of Fallen FDNY Hero.” Farmingdale, NY Patch, Patch, 7 May 2019, patch.com/new-york/farmingdale/saladino-dedicates-street-memory-fallen-fdny-hero
John Moschella Obituary - Farmingdale, NY. Newsday, www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=john-moschella&pid=190951657&fhid=27301
Rifilato, Anthony. “NYC Firefighter 'Never Gave up' after 9/11-Related Cancer Diagnosis.” Herald Community Newspapers, 11 Jan. 2019, www.liherald.com/stories/nyc-firefighter-never-gave-up-after-911-related-cancer-diagnosis,110810
Steven Mosiello was born in Brooklyn and raised in Levittown where he attended Memorial High School and played lacrosse. Shortly after his graduation from high school, he entered the Air Force, where he was stationed in Vietnam.
Upon his release from the service, he stayed within the community and coached PAL basketball for some 11 years, as well as opening “The Abbey,” a successful tavern on Gardiners Avenue in Levittown.
He was appointed to the fire department in 1979 and was promoted to Fire Marshall in 1994. He became an aide to Chief Peter Ganci and upon Ganci’s death, carried on in that position for Chief Daniel Nigro who replaced Chief Ganci.
Mosiello’s assignment just put him out of harms way on September 11. Unfortunately, the chemicals and particles that the smoke carried led to his death. He died of esophageal cancer in 2011. He left behind a wife and children who reside in Farmingdale.
Source:
“Steven Mosiello Laid to Rest.” Farmingdale Observer, 18 Sept. 2018, farmingdale-observer.com/2011/08/05/obituary-steven-mosiello-laid-to-rest
William Murphy enlisted in August 21, 1862. He was 22 years old. He mustered in on August 21, 1862 with the 145th Regiment, Company K of the New York Volunteer Infantry. He was transferred to the 107th Regiment, Company I in late 1863, early 1864. He mustered out on June 5, 1865.
He was born circa 1837. He married Martha Pilkington in July of 1858. They had no children. He died of consumption on October 5, 1881. He is buried at the Bethpage Cemetery, also known as the Plainedge Cemetery.
Sources:
Find a Grave
National Archives
New York State Military Museum
Fred Murray was born on November 5, 1886 in New Brunswick, Canada. He graduated high school at the very young age of fourteen. He married Ethel Vooris on June 11, 1913. He worked as a building estimator for twelve years at the Hogsen Brother’s Building Company.
Fred Murray was one of the founders of the Farmingdale Federal Savings and Loan Association. He was elected mayor of Farmingdale in 1929. Some of his achievements as mayor include the starting of parking field plans and he helped establish the Farmingdale water works. He also served as Trustee for four years.
He died in an explosion that demolished the building of the Farmingdale Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1952.
Source:
Junior Historical Society of Farmingdale. Farmingdale's Story: Farms to Flight. The Society, 1956
The Music Box was located at 354 Main Street. In 1947, manager Robert Filaski became the proprietor of the store. He remodeled and redecorated when he took over.
He also added musical instruments and television sets to his variety of merchandise, making The Music Box one of the best-equipped music stores of Long Island. His salesman, Joe Milano, was a native a Farmingdale. He rented and sold instruments and supplies to many schools on Long Island.
Source:
Farmingdale Post