The 2000 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrated the dawn of a new Millenium in a special way by naming a large number of Aides to Grand Marshal Thomas R. Suozzi.  The Aides chosen represented a cross-section of the local community and celebrated their service as we reached the year 2000.

Thomas R. Suozzi, Grand Marshal 2000 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Mayor Thomas R. Suozzi, a Certified Public Accountant and Attorney, first assumed the office of Mayor and Supervisor in January 1994.  On November 2, 1999 Mayor Suozzi was re-elected to his fourth term in office.  He is credited with balancing the city’s budget, no new taxes for five consecutive years, and building a new City Hall, Courthouse, Police Headquarters and EMS building.  Mayor Suozzi has revitalized the City’s downtown business district by bringing Swezey’s Department Store, Staples, Acclaim Entertainment, Ruby Tuesday and other well known businesses to Glen Cove.

Mayor Suozzi’s innovative energy and environmental efforts are recognized nationwide and throughout the state.  Vice President Al Gore recently called Mayor Suozzi to announce that the City of Glen Cove was chosen as one of 16 communities ftom a nationwide field of over 200 candidates, as a Brownfields Showcase Community.  This distinction will enable the federal govenunent to provide the City with $1.4 million in funding and technical assistance for the redevelopment of the waterfront.  The City received this prestigious recognition based on the Mayor’s demonstrated commitment to cleanup and redevelop the waterfront, and his administration’s working relationship with federal, state, and local agencies.

In 1997, he had the distinction of being the only elected official chosen to receive a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Environmental Quality Award.  He is currently embarked on an ambitious plan to revitalize the Glen Cove Waterfront into a regional tourist destination that has received bipartisan praise.  Mayor Suozzi has been named Environmentalist of the Year by the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and was honored b

y the Long Island Progressive Coalition for Innovative Leadership inCommunityRevitalization.  OnApril4,1998,theLonglslandsoundWatershedAlliancehonoredMayor Suozzi for Excellence in Achieving the Goals of the Long Island Sound Study.  He is responsible for the permanent closure of the Glen Cove Incinerator, at no cost to the taxpayers.

Mayor Suozzi’s innovative Employee Evaluation System and “reinventing government” programs have reduced the city’s workforce by 1 0% while increasing productivity and rewarding performance.  He has earned awards from both the Long Island Civil Service Employees Union for “fair treatment and support” for city employees, as well as the New York Conference of Mayor’s 1997 Labor Management Achievement Award.

Prior to serving as Mayor, Tom Suozzi’s professional career included working as a public accountant with the firm of Arthur Andersen.  As an attorney, Mr. Suozzi served as clerk for the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and served as commercial litigator for the law firm of Shearman & Sterling in New York City.

Tom Suozzi was bom and raised in Glen Cove.  He attended St. Patrick’s School and. graduated from Chaminade High School in 1980.  In 1984 he received a Bachelors degree from Boston College and in 1989 earned a J.D. degree from Fordham University Law School.  At graduation, Mayor Suozzi accepted the Eugene O’Keefe Award on behalf of the Law School’s Public Service Project which he founded.

Tom Suozzi is married to the former Helene Wrotniak, a native of Glen Cove.  They have a daughter, Caroline, who is four years old, and a son Joseph Anthony, who will be two years old in February.

 

Aide to the Grand Marshal Robert P. Lynch

Robert P. Lynch is the former Chairman of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade and he is also a Past President of AOH Division 8, which sponsors the parade.

Mr. Lynch resides in Glen Cove, with his wife Sighle (Sheila) Lynch and their sons, Kieran, Aidan and Conor.  He is a graduate of St. John’s University, where he received a degree in history in 1977, and of St. John’s Law School, where he received his Doctor of Laws degree in 1980.  Robert is a practicing attorney, and is, a partner, along with his wife, Sighle, in the Law Firm of Lynch and Lynch, located in Glen Cove and Williston Park.  He recently established a new business, Cairdenet, which provides website design and hosting services on the Internet.

Robert comes from a family with deep roots in Ireland and Irish America.  His father, Robert B. Lynch is the former Queens County AOH president and was recently honored there as “Hibernian of the Year”.  His paternal ancestors include immigrants from Counties Mayo and Kerry who arrived in this country in the 1820’s and others who arrived from Co. Westmeath in the 1870s.  His mother is Mary Hyland from Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo and he is the oldest of seven children.

Robert is active in many Irish organizations and is a traditional music enthusiast, being a former Pipe Major of the County Tyrone Pipe Band and an uilleann piper.  Robert has been active for many years in a wide variety of efforts in support of Irish freedom and is a member of Friends of Sinn Fein.  He was cofounder of the Irish Society at St. John’s University and he a charter member of the Brehon Law Society.  He was also a Charter Member of AOH Division 13 in Bayside, Queens, before transferring to Division 8.  He was also a founding member and Vice President of the North Shore Irish American Cultural Society along with our late president and grand marshal John Sweeney. 

Robert is an active member of the Parish of St. Boniface Martyr in Sea Cliff, where he serves on the Finance, Stewardship and Liturgy Committees and webmaster of the parish website.  He is also President of the Bayside, Queens Kiwanis Club where he has headed activities in support of Scouting for the Handicapped and the Friends of Iris Hill School of the Queens Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, where he is a Board member.

Aide to the Grand Marshal Edward Friel

Edward Friel is the son of Frank and Margaret Friel of Counties Mayo and Sligo.

Ed has been an active member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians since the mid 1980’s, holding several elected positions in his home Division, #3, including that of president.  He then served Nassau County AOH President, and has also been co-chairman of the Nassau Co. Feis.  He is presently Feis Treasurer.

Eddie resides in Westbury and is an active member of St. Brigid’s Parish there, and is also active at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Far Rockaway.  He and his wife Nina have three children, Christina, Frank and Eddie.

 

Aide to the Grand Marshal Bridie Mahoney

Bridie Mahoney was born and raised in Caherfeenick, Doonbeg, County Clare.  Bridie is the youngest daughter, one of eight children, born to Bartholomew and Anne McMahon.  She was educated in Doonbeg, Clohanes National Schools and later at the Convent of Mercy in Ennistymon.  At the age of 18 Bridie emigrated to the United States where she continued her education at Fordham University.  In 1969 Bridie married John Mahoney from Ballyhea, Charleville, County Cork and they have three daughters, Joan, Maureen and Sharon.  In addition, her family has grown to include two sons-in-law, Joseph and David, as well as two grandsons, Brandon and Nicholas.

Bridie has been a long time member of the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens.  She has participated by serving on the Board of Directors, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and has chaired many other functions with the Irish American Society.  Bridie recently served the last two years of the 20th Century with the Irish American Society as their President.  Bridie has also been chosen Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Garden City on March 5th.

Bridie is very honored and proud to be chosen as an aide to the Grand Marshal of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the first of the new millennium.  She looks forward to representing the City of Glen Cove as she marches the parade route this year and she wishes everyone a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day.

Aide to the Grand Marshal Joseph M. Cassin, Ph.D.

Joe Cassin’s paternal grandparents, William Cassin and Mary Cleary were married at St. Mary’s Church, Dublin, and lived next to the Dublin zoo before immigrating to America about 1890.  They settled in Lowell, MA where they raised two daughters and four sons.  William Cassin was killed in a boiler accident aboard a Cunard Liner making the Cassins a single parent family.  None of the children finished grade school in order to support the family.  Joe was born to their son Joseph Francis and his wife Irene Matthews Cassin.  He attended St. Patrick’s School and Keith Academy-a former county jail.  Each school was built by Irish construction workers from granite blocks left over from canal construction during the industrial revolution.

Joe followed the tradition of the Irish Scholars.  He was educated at the Catholic University of America (AB in Biology); Saint John’s University (MA Sacred Science); Howard University  (MS, Botany); and was an Alfred Schmidt Foundation Fellow at Fordham University (PhD. Marine Microbial Ecology).  He taught in parochial secondary schools in New York, Kentucky, and Maryland.  Joe was a 30-year faculty member of Adelphi University.  Presently, he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Biology at Nassau Community College.  Joe received marine research grants from the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, New York State and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Family lore has it that the name Cassin is derived from the Cassinian warrior group loyal to Brian Boru who expelled the Vikings from Ireland.  Joe has carried on the Cassinian tradition through several political and civic interests.

He served two terms in the Glen Cove City Council, and was the Right to Life Candidate for Nassau County Comptroller, and the New York State Assembly.  He was a cofounder of the Glen Cove Parent Network, and the Glen Cove Busing Coalition, which lobbied the Glen Cove School Board for equal rights and resources among non-public school students.  He served several adult roles in Troop 184, Boy Scouts of America.  He is presently a member of the Saint Patrick’s Life Committee; Catholic Charities’ Public Policy Education Network; and Respect Life Committee of the Office of Family Ministry.  Joe is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, and a proud member of the Mike Moran Division 8, Ancient Order of Hibernians serving as Catholic Action chairman, and Parade Journal editor.

Joe is married to Dr. Patricia Eribaum Cassin whose Irish roots lie in County Clare (Burke), and Dublin (Mclrerney).  They have four children: Brian, a free-lance film editor, Elizabeth Cassin Howell, a Theatrical Costumer, Brendan, a graduate music student at Duquesne University; and Kevin, a sophomore at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Aide to the Grand Marshal Mary Murphy

Mary (nee Comer) Murphy was born in Kilkerrin, County Galway.  Mary immigrated to New York in 1957 and has resided in the community of Cedarhurst and St. Joachim’s Parish ever since.  Mary has been a tireless and dedicated supporter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians since she joined Division 3, Nassau County in 1958.

Mary has served in all offices of Division 3. She was Nassau County LAOH Board President from 1995 to 1999 and is currently the Board Vice-President.  Mary continues to serve the interests of Nassau County and New York State as the Freedom for All Ireland Chairperson for the New York LAOH State Board.  Mary has also been active with the Nassau County Feis Committee for the last 23 years.

Among Mary’s many accolades, she was an Aide to the Grand Marshall of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1992.  In November 1999, the Nassau County LAOH Board honored Mary as Lady of the Year.

Mary and her husband Aiden, who hails from Camlough, County Armagh are the proud parents of four children: Maureen, Emmet, Sean and Susan.

Aide to the Grand Marshal Patrick E. Peet

Patrick E. Peet is the Chief of the Glen Cove Fire Department, having taken office on Januar1, 2000.  He entered the Glen Cove Fire Department on May 9, 1983, representing the third generation of this family to have served as Glen Cove firefighters.  He rose steadily through the ranks, becoming Captain of Company #4 in 1988 and he has been instrumental in the training of department members.

Patrick has received many Citations in recognition of his bravery and skill.  They include:

• 1990: Citation for assistance to the many Long Island departments that responded to the Avianca airline crash in Cove Neck.
• 1992: Citation for his service during the Nor’easter that hit Glen Cove.
• 1993: Citation for rescuing eight people from a burning building on Glen Cove Avenue.