Let's Hear It For The Dads: Vincent Rotondo

We asked you to tell us about your dads -- what makes them special, what makes them your heroes -- as we celebrate Father’s Day.

Vanessa Rotondo wrote in about her father, Vincent, who she says relocated to the shore from Brooklyn about eight years ago:

“My dad, Vinny, is everything from my personal adviser to best critic to biggest supporter to best friend, and he would do nothing short of anything for my mother, my younger brother and me.

“I am your stereotypical “Daddy’s Girl,” true, but my Dad truly is (and will forever be) the best person I have ever met. He has set my standards impossibly high from the day of my birth and will not settle for anything under his expectations.

“My dad, at age 23, was one semester shy of graduating college, from where he was going to law school, when his father suddenly died. My Dad dropped out of college to worry about his number one priority: family. Now, I never really understood the reason he dropped out when he was so close to graduating until I went away to college. I could honestly say when I am away at school, I call my Dad at least twice a day to consult with everything from my homework to internship opportunities to what I am going to eat for dinner. I know I would be lost without my Dad.

“Simply, my Dad has placed family above all else and passed this mentality on to his children. Family is the most important thing we could have and it must be cherished above all else.

“My dad has been through a lot in his young life, but you will have to search long and hard to find someone with a better attitude than him. He’s seen it all and always comes out with a smile or a sarcastic comment to make others smile. I am so completely and utterly blessed to have someone like him in my life; having him as my Dad has been the greatest gift I could ever have been given. He has rendered me speechless countless times, just by the little things he does to make sure others feel appreciated.

“He is my family’s rock to keep us strong, the glue to keep us together, the anchor to keep us grounded, and the light in the darkest situations. A man with a heart of gold, who would take the shirt off his back to help those less fortunate, is my hero and the unreachable role model I will strive every day to mirror.”