When the Farmingville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 400 was trying to raise funds to repair its dilapidated parking lot, they reached out to Nick Caracappa, the local county legislator whose family has represented the area for generations. A few calls later, the legislator lined up area businesses who agreed to take on the job at no cost.
“It was amazing how everything came together so quickly,” said Post Commander Frank Sanzone, an Air Force veteran who served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Inherent Resolve. The commander was part of a large group thanking the legislator and everyone else involved in the project during a special ceremony last week at the College Road post. Singled out were Affatato Paving, whose asphalt crew was finishing up their work as the ceremony was underway, and Asphalt Supply of Long Island, which provided 100 tons of blacktop for the job.
“I was a little nervous because I had originally told them that we wanted to replace a small strip of gravel that the post was using as a parking lot,” Caracappa explained. “But after we measured it out, the area they really needed turned out to be about three times the size. They called right back back and said ‘No problem.’”
Receiving the gratitude of the post members were Louis Vecchia, the asphalt company president, and Shaina Affatato, president of the paving corp. Also singled out was the Selden Home Depot which will handle the landscaping for the new grounds. A rose garden will be built in recognition of Rose Caracappa, the legislator's mother, who represented the area from 1982-1995. He choked up when Commander Sanzone announced that the new grounds will be dedicated to his mother. Her other son, Joseph Caracappa, served as the district’s representative from 1995-2007 with a stint as the legislature’s presiding officer.
With the post directly across the street from Suffolk Community College’s Selden campus, the ceremony included a contingent of college officials including President Edward T. Bonahue who noted a close working relationship with the post and its members. According to the college president, Suffolk Community has more veterans than any college in the state. The point was driven home by Thomas Ronayne, director of Suffolk County’s Department of Veterans Affairs who noted that Suffolk is home to more veterans than any other New York county.
Catering the event was White Castle of Centereach whose representatives, Hilda Gonzalez and Anna Palomino, were recognized for their contributions, along with John Rose of Cella Bagels in Selden and Liz Monti, who was there on behalf of Kristina Wilson of the Texas Roadhouse, also in Selden.
The newly-elected Brookhaven councilman for the area, Neil Manzella, praised all involved and thanked the many veterans in attendance for their service to the country. The Third District councilman said it was one of the first events he has spoken at since his election on April 25.
Affatato Paving and Long Island Asphalt also teamed up to to repair the parking lot for American Legion Post 1533 in Mastic Beach. “These folks really came through for our veterans,” said Legislator Jim Mazzarella. “It really is an honor to be here today to recognize such a great community effort on behalf of the heroes of this nation who stepped up to protect us and keep America free.”
“The new lot is a vast improvement over what it was,” said Post 400 member Ron Pacchiana, a VietNam veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart during the conflict. “Thanks to this outstanding effort, the post and the many services they provide will be more easily accessible, especially to those who are handicapped and have a more difficult time getting around.”
Ronayne, the Veterans Affairs director, noted that posts such as the VFW and the American Legion provide a peer support platform for their members and gives them a focal point for community involvement. The veterans raise funds for local scholarships and members in need and keep up local war memorials such as the one at the corner of Nichols and Portion roads in Farmingville. They are a constant presence in parades and other community events as they extend their service well beyond their original commitments.
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| Dignitaries at the ceremony announcing the paving efforts. |
The Farmingville VFW post is named in honor of Air Force Staff Sergeant Louis M. Bonacasa who was killed in the line of duty in 2015 while conducting intelligence operations near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Bonacasa, 31, heroically placed himself between his team and a terrorist’s explosive-laden motorcycle, saving the lives of two team members and an Afghan defender. An East Patchogue native, he enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school in 2002 and served four tours in Qatar, Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife, Deborah, who is also a veteran, attended last week’s ceremony.
The post is also named for Army Sgt. Jason A. Santora of Farmingville who gave his life for his country at age 25 during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010. Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Santora was killed in Logar province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations. He was serving his fourth tour of duty — his second in Afghanistan after two in Iraq — when his unit was ambushed.