Long Island Family's Daily Bingo Game Streak To End At 70

STONY BROOK, NY — Thursday will mark the 70th day in a row the Mastriano family of Stony Brook will host a virtual Bingo night. It will also mark the finale of the series, which was launched to give people something fun to look forward to nightly while the coronavirus outbreak had them cooped up indoors.

The inaugural game was March 20 and has been played with a new theme every day for over two months. The family of four vowed the free games would continue until the social distancing orders were lifted. With Gov. Andrew Cuomo's announcement that Long Island would start the first phase of its reopening on Wednesday, the family decided it's time to lay the game to rest — after they hit an even 70 consecutive days, of course.

"As much as we will miss the game, we understand that many will be taking the time now to safely social distance with their family and friends or go to the beach, and the need for our game may not be as necessary as it was when we first began," Laura Mastriano, the wife and mother, told Patch. "We were thrilled and honored to be a part of so many's nightly routine. We have met so many amazing people and feel so rewarded and blessed for being a small distraction of fun during this pandemic."

The game is open to the public and has a steady following of repeat players. New players joined each night. The game always begins at 7:30 p.m. EST on Facebook Live and runs about an hour. The sessions are hosted on Laura's Facebook page, which can be accessed here.

Wednesday's theme is Grease. Before each game, the family supplies a word list and a blank Bingo sheet. Print the sheet, choose 24 words from the list and write them on the card. The Mastrianos pick the words live, share facts related to the night's theme and crack jokes.

Players can be any age, and the game has spread across the country. Participants are encouraged to dress up to match the theme, too. Traditional Bingo and full-sheet are both played.

Past themes include Disney, America, Sports Night, Super Heroes, Jungle, BBQ, Fairy Tales, Movie Night, Video Games, Harry Potter, Football, Nurses Day, Ice Cream, Cinco De Mayo, Under the Sea and Alice in Wonderland.

Here are some quick facts on the Mastriano family, courtesy of Laura:

• Joe- Husband, Father: still working remotely from home for Apex Systems, Inc. (I.T. Staffing company); After Joe's day of work, he does some research for the day's bingo theme. He is behind the camera, reads live shout-outs, jokes, facts and provides commentary throughout the game.
• Laura- Wife, Mother: out of work event-planner, L.A. Productions Events- all business and events have been canceled as a result of the pandemic. Finds the game as a way to stay positive and help spread hope that once this passes, everyone will want to celebrate together again. Laura starts working on the new theme by 7 a.m., creating a word list, posting it to Facebook and social media, and then spends hours designing the set: making/using/recycling any items she can find in her home. She does all this while running in and out checking on school work progress, cooking meals for the family, and remembering to run the laundry, etc).
• Maddie- Daughter, Sister: 2nd-year college student, Loyola University in Maryland. Now taking all her classes virtually from her bedroom. When she is not in live class, or doing her school work, she joins the game dressed as a shark, affectionately known as "Sharkie" to her online fans.
• Joseph- Son, Brother: Junior at Ward Melville High School; after his day of e-learning and school assignments, Joseph joins in for game time and helps keep track of the words pulled during the game, as well as keeping things organized. He usually throws in some trivia or jokes too.
• Phoebe- English Bulldog, Mascot: Phoebe loves to dress up for the theme of each Bingo game. She has a growing fan base and helps instantly spread smiles when she graces everyone with her presence. Sometimes she does sit at the host table, because she wants to run the show.