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San Remo

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From left, Maryann Jacoutot (Senior Center Staff) Town Clerk Thomas McCarthy, Supervisor Edward Wehrheim, Thomas Gugliotta, Tax Receiver Deanna Varricchio, and Senior Citizens Dept. Director Doreen Perrino. Photo from Town of Smithtown

The Town of Smithtown has announced that historic property records and tax documents donated by Thomas Gugliotta are now on display at Town Hall. Gugliotta, a proud first-generation resident of Smithtown donated the records in hopes of sharing his parents great American Dream story. The display, located at Town Hall outside the Tax Receiver’s office, serves as a tribute to the values of hard work, resilience, and community spirit that define so many Smithtown families.

Thomas Gugliotta’s parents, Biase and Philomena, immigrated from Italy in 1956, arriving in the San Remo neighborhood with their infant daughter. Thomas was born in San Remo and grew up in the same home he resides in today, where he continues to cherish his parents’ legacy.

“I got very nostalgic talking with Thomas. We shared memories about our families, how they migrated here to Smithtown and how generations before us made a great life, which are now etched in our history. The Gugliotta family represents what Smithtown is all about: resilience, hard work, and pride in one’s roots. These historical documents not only honor their personal history but also serve as an inspiration to our community about the power of perseverance in the pursuit of the American Dream.” – Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim, Town of Smithtown

Thomas’s father, an Italian Allied Forces WWII veteran, experienced unimaginable hardship during the war. Shortly after Italy joined the Allied forces in 1943, Biase Gugliotta was captured and held in a nazi labor camp until it was liberated by American forces in 1945. In 1956, his family settled in San Remo, where Biase worked as a custodian at Kings Park High School until his retirement in 1986. Thomas shared his fathers proud journey with Town Officials, of achieving U.S. citizenship, thanks to the assistance of Smithtown’s first Police Chief, Cy Donnelly in 1969.

“My father would walk to Town Hall to pay his taxes, proud of everything he had accomplished… It’s an honor to have these records displayed here in a way that might inspire others to reflect on the American story—one rooted in family, history, and proud heritage.” – Thomas Gugliotta, San Remo First Generation Resident

Thomas Gugliotta recalled that his father would actually walk to Town Hall to pay his property taxes, all the way from San Remo, making it a point to share how deeply proud his father was to do so.

Did You Know? Originally named after a small Italian Riviera village, San Remo has a unique historical significance and has served as a home to many families who have shared similar dreams of building a new life.

This exhibit was made possible thanks to the collaboration with the Smithtown Senior Center team and Town Administration. The Town is deeply grateful to Thomas Gugliotta for sharing his family’s history and hopes this exhibit will spark meaningful discussions about family legacies, community history, and the value of the American Dream.

Thomas’s heartfelt story about his family is also available to watch on Smithtown GTV’s YouTube channel. It captures the personal stories behind the historical documents, offering a unique perspective on the history of San Remo and the people who have built their lives here. The Town Hall display is a testament to the enduring strength and pride of immigrant families who continue to enrich the fabric of Smithtown.

To watch Thomas Gugliotta’s interview and the San Remo Historic Spotlight on Smithtown GTV, visit: Watch on YouTube.

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Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, left of center, draws names in lottery for the San Remo affordable home. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

Dozens of people crowded into the Town of Smithtown’s board room at 2 p.m. July 31 waiting eagerly for their name to be called.

Neil Coleman, of Lake Ronkonkoma, walked into the room and casually replied “Here,” as he had not yet realized his name was the first drawn in a lottery for the opportunity to purchase an affordable San Remo house — the first to be raffled off in Smithtown under New York State’s Long Island Workforce Housing Act.

Neil Coleman, 25, of Lake Ronkonkoma. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

“I was shocked,” he said. “I had barely made it through the door. I understand it was a lottery. It was luck of the draw, and I was the one picked today.”

Coleman, 25, works as an electrician for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 25 union. He lives with family members in Ronkonkoma and said he’s spent the last year and a half searching through real estate listings trying to find affordable housing.

“It’s daunting,” he said. “It’s difficult to find affordable housing at a young age.”

Coleman said in June he stumbled upon Long Island Housing Partnership’s website while searching for grant programs or assistance in obtaining housing. The Hauppauge-based nonprofit organization has helped aid more than 35,000 residents looking for affordable rentals or housing since 1988, according to its president and CEO Peter Elkowitz.

“It’s really important for us to recognize that affordable housing is a crucial issue here on Long Island,” Elkowitz said. “We all have family members who are living with us or who may not be on Long Island anymore. It’s important to keep our workforce here.”

LIHP worked in conjunction with Smithtown’s elected officials to host the lottery for the newly constructed 3-
bedroom, 1.5-bathroom workforce housing built on Locust Drive in Kings Park held on Tuesday. In order to qualify, applicants’ income can be no more than 120 percent of the median household income for Nassau-Suffolk counties as set by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Guidelines. For 2018, this limit is set for $112,500 for two individuals, increasing to $140,050 for a family of four. There were 39 families who applied for the chance to purchase the San Remo home by June 15.

This 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home in San Remo was raffled off under the town’s workforce housing program. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for a family to be successful in coming into Smithtown and living in a beautiful, affordable home,” Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said.

Coleman said he has a German shepherd that will be coming with him if he’s approved to move in the home. He must provide LIHP with income documentation and pass a credit check to demonstrate he meets the program’s requirements, according to Elkowitz, or the opportunity will pass to the next person on the list. Each applicant who entered the lottery was assigned a number as their name was pulled and will receive a letter documenting their ranking in the mail.

“This is the first of many units that will be built with an affordable price tag for our residents to come,” Wehrheim said.

The supervisor said construction is currently underway on seven more affordable workplace homes in the new Country Pointe Woods Smithtown development, off the intersection of Route 347/Smithtown Bypass and Route 111. The sale of these units will also be determined via lottery in conjunction with LIHP at a future date.

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