For Owner Of Jerry & The Mermaid, Giving Back Brings Joy: 'I Truly Want To See Other People Succeed'

RIVERHEAD, NY — There's a bright light shining in the constellation of Riverhead businesses — as the owner of Jerry & The Mermaid presents an eatery focused not just on delicious meals and memories but also, giving back to the community with consistency and care.

From feeding hospitality workers hit hard by the pandemic to helping out at school fundraisers and countless community events, Jerry Dicecco has always been a beacon of hope and heart on the East End.

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Speaking with Patch recently, Dicecco discussed how he weaves giving back to the community into the fabric of his business model.

"I never take for granted that being a local business owner puts me in a position where I can help others," Dicecco said. "I try to do that in a lot of different ways."

Dicecco said that he strategically aligns himself, and Jerry & The Mermaid, with local organizations that are like-minded and genuinely want what is best for the community and the long-term growth of the town.

"We donate to as many local teams, schools, organizations and nonprofits as we reasonably can," he said. "That balance isn't always easy because there are so many people and organizations doing great things and asking for support."

But, he pointed out: "Giving back isn't always about writing a check. Sometimes the biggest thing I can offer is my reach. I have so many friends, customers, business associates and social media followers who also want to help. When I get behind something I believe in, I can use that network to bring attention to a cause, raise money or get other people involved. I'm blessed to have that kind of reach, and I don't take that responsibility lightly."

When asked about some of the local schools or organization that he's happy to lend a hand to helping, Dicecco said that to start, he's a huge supporter of local sports.

"I honestly don't think there's a local team that's ever come to me asking for a raffle prize that I've turned away. Obviously, as a small business, there's only so much direct financial sponsorship you can provide, so I can't sponsor every team at the same level. But our local Little League is something I've supported and plan to continue supporting for a long time."

And, he said: "I'm also a huge supporter of our local Lions Club, which hosts a monthly meeting/event with us. We've hosted team dinners and end-of-year celebrations for local teams, including Riverhead field hockey and wrestling."

There are moments that will resonate forever, Dicecco said.

This summer, Dicecco said, he held a watch party for Riverhead's own Katie Goodale while she was representing Team USA in Japan, where they went on to win the championship.

"Those are the kinds of moments that are really special —when the restaurant becomes a place where the community can come together and celebrate one of our own."

He added: "The list really goes on and on. I simply try to do what I can whenever I can."

The act of giving back was something Dicecco said was instilled in him from his youngest days.

"One hundred percent. My father, Jerry Dicecco Sr., was very similar to me in that regard, and I definitely learned a lot of this from watching him."

His father, he said, was chairman of the Long Island Bartenders Ball for more than 20 years, and over those decades, helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for countless charities.

"I grew up seeing the amount of work he put into helping other people and how seriously he took that responsibility," Dicecco said. "Watching his commitment to giving back was definitely the spark for a lot of what I do today. He helped instill the morals and values in me that say if you're fortunate enough to be in a position to help someone else, you should."

Those lessons are perhaps the most precious gift that Dicecco hopes to instill within his own children.

"For me, the best way to teach kids about giving back is to have them actually participate in it," he said. "My kids help me with many of the events I'm involved with, and they're also heavily involved in events through my wife's business."

His wife, Dani-Marie Dicecco, owns the U Gotta Dance studio in East Moriches, where their children are extremely active, he said. "They host countless fundraisers and givebacks throughout the year for different organizations and families," he said. "Our kids are right there participating. Whether it's wrapping Christmas presents with Stepping Stones, helping with events for Keith Caputo and the Helping Makes U Happy non-profit, or participating in one of our own community events, they're involved."

Each event provides invaluable life experience about how to live a life of true service to others, he said.

"I want them to grow up understanding that helping someone else isn't supposed to be some extraordinary thing you do once a year," Dicecco said. "It should just be part of who you are."

The act of giving back extends to being a staunch supporter of other businesses, Dicecco said.

"I try to collaborate with and support other local businesses all the time," he said. "Sometimes it's as simple as recommending a vendor that's giving me great pricing or has a product I think another restaurant or business could benefit from. It might be recommending a marketing company that's helped me, connecting two people who I think could work well together, or just sharing something another local business is doing on social media."

He also tries to use his experience to help other business owners whenever he can, Dicecco said. "I truly want to see other people succeed."

Running a small business in today's environment is incredibly difficult — and Dicecco believes it's critical for local businesses to join hands and hearts to help one another survive, and thrive.

"I've been doing this for a long time. I've made plenty of mistakes, learned from them and gained some wisdom along the way," he said. "If sharing that experience can help another business owner avoid some of those same mistakes or achieve in 10 years what took us decades to build, I'm happy to help."

And, he believes: "A stronger local business community is good for all of us. Someone else's success doesn't have to come at the expense of yours."

The act of giving back has been deeply meaningful for Dicecco, he said.

"I don't give back because I'm looking to gain something from it. I do believe in karma, though, and I believe that doing right by people has a way of eventually coming full circle,' he said. "More than anything, I just genuinely enjoy being able to help people. I appreciate what I have, and I want to see other people succeed too."

Always humble, Dicecco speaks with heartfelt sincerity about gratitude.

"I thank God for the situation I'm in. I work incredibly hard" — Dicecco responded to questions from Patch at 11 p.m. after being at the restaurant for 12 hours— "But hard work alone isn't why I'm successful. There's always a little bit of luck involved, too. I wouldn't be where I am without my family standing behind me, the incredible team I work alongside every day, and the loyal patrons who have supported Jerry & The Mermaid through good times and bad. I'm blessed. I know it, I appreciate it, and I say it every day. Giving back is one way of showing that appreciation."

Looking back over years of caring gestures, Dicecco said that there are some experiences that have changed his own life.

"Teaching at our local community college has given me some incredible moments like that," he said. "I've had students come back months, years and even more than a decade later to tell me about their successes and how something they learned in my class— or a connection we made — helped guide them. That's incredibly rewarding."

But, he said: "One of my favorite stories actually had nothing to do with professional success. A couple of years ago, two former students came to visit me at the restaurant. I had taught them in a Culinary Arts class more than a decade earlier. They had just gotten engaged and wanted to come have a celebratory cocktail with me because they had originally met in my class."

And in that class, magic happened.

"One thing I constantly tell my students is to get to know the people sitting next to them," Dicecco said. "Exchange contact information. Build relationships. These are your peers, and you're going to be working alongside one another in this industry for years to come. I never imagined that advice would help lead two students down a path that eventually ended in love and marriage. That was an incredibly special moment for me."

Anyone can live a life of thoughtful concern for others. Giving back in a big way can be witnessed in small, meaningful gestures, he said.

"Giving back doesn't have to mean writing a check or committing hours every week to volunteering. Start by simply being a decent human being. Hold the door open for somebody. Make eye contact with a stranger and tell them to have a great day. Walk around with a smile on your face. Say hello to someone. You have no idea when one small, warm interaction might make someone's difficult day a little bit better."

He added: "Leave the earth a little cleaner than you found it. If you're walking on the beach or through a park and see a piece of litter, pick it up. Teach your children to respect people and to treat others the way they would want to be treated. And maybe one of the simplest lessons of all: If you don't have something nice to say, sometimes it's better not to say anything at all. You don't need money or influence to make someone's day better. Small acts multiplied by a lot of people can make a huge difference."

Looking back upon the pandemic, when Dicecco did all he could to help extend a lifeline to those in desperate need, what emerges is a portrait in time that shaped all that was to come.

"The pandemic showed me that I could use my resources, relationships, knowledge, hard work and perseverance to impact a tremendous number of people during one of the most frightening periods of our lives," he said. "It started small. We were just trying to be there for local people who needed to get out of the house, pick up some food, grab a 'Quarantine Quart' of our rum punch and feel a tiny sense of normalcy."

What evolved was a transcendent example of how, meal by meal, heart by heart, a community could stand strong even in the face of one of the most challenging experiences of their collective lives.

"I knew that wasn't enough," he said. "Too many people were hurting. We started what became The Mermaid Project and raised approximately $100,000 in just a few short weeks. We used that money to feed local hospital workers and first responders, and eventually people in the hospitality industry who suddenly found themselves out of work."

The pandemic experience will forever illuminate his way forward, Dicecco said.

"What I loved about it was that the help kept multiplying. We were feeding people in need, but at the same time I was able to keep some of my staff working and keep food suppliers, truck drivers and salespeople doing business with us. One initiative was helping people at multiple levels," he said.

"We also began putting together food boxes at cost for local families. This was when people were genuinely afraid to walk into grocery stores. You could preorder a box with roughly 25 pounds of food for about $40, pull up to Jerry & The Mermaid at a designated time, pop your trunk, and we'd put it right in your car. By the early weeks, we were filling nearly 200 orders at a time. My community needed us, and we needed to help them."

He added: "That experience gave me an incredible sense of purpose during a time when there was so much uncertainty. I realized that all the things I'd learned over the years — food purchasing, pricing, refrigeration, packaging, logistics, staffing, networking — could suddenly be used for something much bigger than running a restaurant."

Deeply moved, he said: "I'll never forget that. I was thankful that when my community needed me, I was in a position to step up. And we kept doing it for as long as they needed us."

Looking ahead, Dicecco has no intention of slowing down as his plans to help others in the months ahead ramp up.

"We have two initiatives coming up that mean a lot to me and have become traditions for us," he said. "The first is our annual Thanksgiving turkey drive that I do in partnership with the Key Club and Culinary Club at Riverhead High School."

Every year, he said, the goal is to provide approximately 50 local families in need with everything necessary to sit down and enjoy a great Thanksgiving feast with their loved ones.

"It usually takes about $3,000 to make it happen. I donate personally, but I also reach out to other local businesses, friends and individuals and ask them to partner with me," Dicecco said. "Once we raise the money, I do the shopping and purchase the food in bulk, and we provide the school with everything needed to put together complete Thanksgiving meals for those families."

With the help of Roberta MacGray and Garrett Moore at Riverhead High School, he said, "We're able to make a real difference for 50 local families every year. It's something I'm extremely proud to be a part of, and I love that the students are involved because they're learning firsthand what it means to take care of the community around them."

But the caring doesn't stop there.

"Then we move right into Christmas. Every year we support Stepping Stone Support and the incredible work they do for families affected by cancer. We help collect toys and gifts, make our own donations, attend their event and help wrap presents," he said.

"I can't imagine how difficult it must be for a family to be dealing with cancer while also trying to create a joyful Christmas for their children and loved ones," he added. "If we can take even one small piece of that burden away and help make their holiday season a little brighter, then we're going to do everything we can. It's a truly worthy cause, and one that deserves all of our support."

Looking back on a lifetime of caring, Dicecco said: "That's really what giving back means to me. You don't have to solve every problem. You find a place where you can make a difference, surround yourself with other people who want to help, and you get to work. When a community comes together, a lot of small contributions can turn into something pretty incredible."