Patsy's Holds Treats and Memories for Lindy Locals Near and Far

"We do what we know, and we do it well."

There's no sign, with this motto written on it, hanging on a wall of Patsy's and Son Italian Bakery. But there may as well be. 

As a fixture on South Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst for more than four decades, the Italian bakery has found its way into the hearts of generations of local residents through its combination of consistency, quality and the special atmosphere that only a locally owned and operated bakery shop can offer.

"For us, quality is number one," said Frank DiMonda, owner and operator of Patsy's and Son. "People know this place from when they were young, and they keep coming back."

The product line is a long-standing tradition too – it consists of bakery products that go back three generations to recipes used by a family bakery in Italy. 

Pasquale (Patsy) and Maria, who started the business, were immigrants from Italy and lived in the Bronx. Patsy was a baker and Maria, a seamstress.

Their dream? To open their own bakery – which is understandable when you consider that Patsy was a baker back in the old country, in his family's business.

So in 1954 they moved to Long Island and began a bakery of their own, using the recipes Patsy had learned from his mother back in Italy. Bethpage came first, then Massapequa, until finally settling in Lindenhurst in the late 1960s.

"We’ve been here on this block longer than anyone," said Frank DiMonda, who took the business over from his father. "Dad bought the building in 1982. Through good times and bad times, we’ve seen it all."

The staple items at the store are breads, pastries, cakes, cookies and other fine baked goods. Then there are the Italian ices, about which Frank DiMonda said: “We were one of the first on Long Island to have that.”

And, then there are, of course, the holiday-specific items created for Easter and Christmas, St Patrick's Day and St Joseph's Day.

"We do what we can if someone wants a specialty item," Frank DiMonda said. "There are a number of bakers on the block – so we do our Italian thing, they do their thing. We try not to step on each other's toes."

Good staff is one of the secrets to Patsy's and Son's success.

"People are astonished; they ask us where we find our staff," said Frank DiMonda. He noted with pride that some of his bakers have been with the company for 30 years.

And the counter help? "We have always hired local high school girls, not kids from out of town. Being a ‘Patsy's Girl’ is like being a cheerleader,” he said.

On a recent visit to Patsy's and Son, two Patsy's Girls were on hand to testify to that.

"I love this place," said Allison, who’s been a Patsy's Girl for six years now.

These days, she's also studying to be a medical technician, but she can't seem to stop working at the bakery. "I don't want to leave here," she said.

Victoria, who’s studying to become a teacher, has a similar story.

"When I was little, we always came in here," she said. "I always wanted to be a Patsy's Girl."

It's that connection between the little bakery down the block and the generations of families that have frequented it that's driving Patsy's and Son's latest venture – an online service, bringing its product to former residents of Lindenhurst who’ve moved to other places and miss the treats they could only find in this area.

RainbowCookies.com was started, Frank DiMonda explained, after many requests to ship cookies to customers who’ve moved away from New York.

"And what an awesome first year we had! We shipped rainbow cookies from California to Afghanistan,” he said.

Of course, anyone living in the Lindenhurst area can simply drop by Patsy’s and Son, too. It’s located at 199 South Wellwood Avenue and can be reached at 631-226-9184 or found online.