By  Rich Acritelli

“Matt would give you the shirt off his back and you always had his support.”

These were the words of Paul LoNigro on the positive qualities of his older brother Matt, who passed away May 10, 2023, at 51 years old. Paul and Matt LoNigro, only two years apart, were inseparable. 

Through the support of former neighbor Jeanine Ross and the Daleo, Peck, McFarland, Bach and Kortbus families, the neighbors asked the Town of Brookhaven to add Matt’s name to Biscayne Drive and Comet Road in Selden to honor Matt and the legacy of the neighborhood kids. 

Paul recalled his father Richie bringing home from their family business, Port Jefferson Sporting Goods, a priceless gift for the LoNigro kids and the local children — they were given defective sports jerseys with “Bombers” imprinted on them. 

From that moment, these active kids were known as the Biscayne Bombers as they played numerous hours of kickball and football on this street. This community represented the simpler times of small-town America through the constant activity of these kids on the street. 

Decades ago, Richie LoNigro often drove to work from Boyle Road in Selden, over Old Town Road, and onto Terryville Road, when these areas still had farm fields and woods. As Long Island’s housing population grew, Port Jefferson Sporting Goods increased in size to meet the sporting needs of children from Montauk to Manhattan. 

Matt spent 22 years working at this store and in the sporting industry along with many of the 11 children of the LoNigro family. He was proud of his Selden roots, was loyal to his friends and at Newfield High School he played soccer, basketball, lacrosse and was the class president. Matt later attended college and played lacrosse at Salisbury University in Maryland, where he met his wife, Julie. 

For years, Matt presented unyielding support toward the needs of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson and was a president for the Miller Place lacrosse and booster clubs. At his family’s sporting goods business and later at BSN Sports, Matt thoroughly loved all aspects of lacrosse. He handled the retail and sales of lacrosse items for local, travel, high school and college teams. 

Retired St. Anthony’s High School athletic director, Donal F. Buckley, recalled “Matt was an incredibly warm person, who created smiles when working with the staff of this school. He was a master salesman who fully understood all sporting equipment and was an approachable figure who loved talking about all aspects of sports with our staff.” 

Over the years, Matt continually learned about lacrosse equipment, uniforms, coaching and the promotion of this sport that he truly loved. Matt advocated for lacrosse through the Police Athletic League and coached numerous Miller Place teams over the last several years to help further this sport. 

Town of Brookhaven honor

On April 4, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) sponsored the request with the support of Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) for the authorization for the addition of “Matthew G. LoNigro” as an honorary street name between Biscayne Drive and Comet Road in Selden. Bonner believed that “Matt’s impact transcended the playing field, as he instilled invaluable life lessons through sports, cheered on every child with boundless enthusiasm and exemplified the epitome of goodness for our children to emulate. His legacy is etched in the hearts of those he inspired.” The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Matt learned two important lessons from his father: hard work and supporting his community. As a driving force at Hope House, this local organization helped troubled children and it recently named one of its buildings Matt’s House. This special person quietly supported others through the vital programs of Christmas Magic, that provided gifts for underprivileged children during the holidays in different areas of Long Island. In the near future, Matt would eventually take over this large Christmas initiative. When students returned to school, the Backpack Pirates initiative provided supplies to children to donate much-needed items toward their education.

The LoNigro family has a long and proud history of giving back to the community. While Matt passed away far too early, he cemented his legacy of giving back through a myriad of humanitarian efforts to make Long Island a better place. 

The Biscayne Bombers will always remember their youthful moments decades ago. As a former member, Matt’s older brother Craig marveled at “all the street sports, break dancing and shoveling driveways of older neighbors.” He added, “Matt brought out the best in all of us in making this into a special place to grow up. Matt was the heartbeat of Biscayne Drive and now his name will forever be linked to a place where so much love and happiness cultivated a unique generation of kids.”