After a Century of Service, Four TOM Employees Retire

After working hard for more than a century, retirement would be well deserved, but not before a huge party to celebrate all that service.  So that's exactly what happened for four municipal employees, who've collectively worked 120 years for the Town of Mamaroneck (TOM).

Department of Recreation employees Mary Ellen Faulkner, Kenneth Paterno and Dorothy Puleo were feted along with Department of Highways employee Giovanni Bianco last Thursday night at the Larchmont Mamaroneck Senior Center on Boston Post Road before their retirement at year's end.

Two of the retirees have a rare record of continuous service to a single department;  Larchmont resident Mary Ellen Faulkner has worked 41 years and Mamaroneck resident Kenny Paterno 42 years with the Mamaroneck Department of Recreation.  Larchmont resident Dorothy Puleo retires with 17 years of service with both the Department of Recreation and Mamaroneck Board of Education.  Mamaroneck resident Giovanni Bianco retires with 20 years of service at the Department of Highways.

Nearly 100 people turned out for the party at the VFW Hall to share laughs, hugs,  farewells and delicious food.

"You can see how much affection there is for them from the turnout on a cold night," said TOM Supervisor Valerie O'Keeffe.

And while the mood was lively and the food plentiful, there was still a note of sadness about the loss of four beloved colleagues.

"It breaks up our family," said Aquatics Director Jen Williams about her colleagues' departure.

Indeed, the spirit of the evening revealed that family-like bonds had grown over the years for the municipal workers among and across departments.

"We are family and we acknowledge the real families as well," said Recreation Superintendent Jill Fisher.

Department Superintendents Jill Fisher and Louis Martirano offered high praise for the dedication and professionalism of the retirees.  Town Administrator Stephen Altieri also thanked the group for their loyalty to their posts.

O'Keeffe offered official proclamations to each of the retirees and teased them a bit about their future plans.

Asked about her immediate plans, Mary Ellen Faulkner said she would be "visiting Disney World in Florida."

 O'Keeffe noted her "sweet" demeanor and knack for working with the public.  Faulkner thanked her two siblings for attending and her daughters Patti and Kathleen for their support throughout the years.

"You're young and still good looking, what are you going to do next," O'Keeffe asked Giovanni Bianco. 

Bianco started working as a park laborer in 1990 and retires as a senior laborer. Both O'Keeffe and Martirano recounted Bianco's diligence in returning a resident's lost car keys.

Originally from Malvito, Italy, a soft-spoken Bianco thanked them both for the acknowledgement.

Kenny Paterno, also had his wife Denise on hand for support. "We thank Denise for sharing him with us," said Jill Fisher.  Fisher also teased him about the length of his service, "I was two when Kenny started in 1967."

Beginning right after high school graduation,  Paterno had repaired sailboats, flooded the tennis courts for ice skating seasons, and like Faulkner, kept track of all the programs and equipment run by the tight-knit recreation department.

"Thank you for showing that you appreciate us," said Paterno to the large audience of colleagues, family and friends.

While Fisher noted Dorothy Puleo's sense of style and joked that "their vocabulary has improved" working over the years with the Bronx native,  Fisher touchingly observed that work had "never been as much fun as with you."   O'Keeffe called Puleo "unique, peppy and full of pizazz."

Puleo, who started with the Board of Education in 1993 before transferring to the Recreation Department, said she looks forward to spending more time with her children and grandchildren.  Said Puleo with a smile, "I will miss very much most of you."