Scolieri recipient of business award

It’s been a bittersweet year for the Antonino Scolieri of Franklin Square’s famous A&S Bagels. After a fire tore through the beloved 24-hour bagel bakery in April, people from far and wide lamented what they thought would be the long-term loss of a local institution. Franklin Square residents and the Scolieri family proved that you can’t keep a good businessman down, however, as A&S Bagels was back up and running in May after a layoff of less than a month.

Last Friday, after going through the fire and a rebuilding effort that took only one month, Scolieri was recognized for his fortitude and his impact in the community by the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. The Council held a Small Business Person and Legislative Awards Breakfast on Friday, Oct. 16, meant to recognize those local business leaders who’d made a positive impact on their community, and shown remarkable resilience in a time when many local shops, markets and restaurants are closing their doors.

“While the economic challenges facing our nation have been daunting, it is with a deep sense of satisfaction that I know that the business community of Nassau County will thrive and continue to support each other in overcoming any obstacles,” Council President E. Christopher Murray said.

No one could represent that sentiment quite like A&S Bagels’ own Scolieri.

The award her received was a testament not only to the resilience of Scolieri, and his dedication to his family-owned business, but also to a community willing to put everything aside to help a neighbor in need.

During the shop’s grand re-opening in May, Scolieri said it was his crew and his family who helped put together A&S Bagels’ in such short order.

“Any given day and night, we had almost 40-50 people working to get this place together,” said Scolieri. “We were open non-stop working for 11 days.”

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, who was on hand for the ceremony on Friday, also recognized how important the bakery was during its re-opening ceremony.

“It really was a labor of love from our perspective,” Murray said. “We know that the citizens couldn’t last too long without the fabulous bagels form this store.”

On hand to see Scolieri receive his plaque were his son Greg, with whom he runs the shop, and wife Genny, as well as local elected officials and Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce President Mary Seifert.