East Rockaway, Lynbrook residents honored as Small Businesspeople of the Year

The Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce awarded its local Small Businesspeople of the Year at a special breakfast ceremony on Oct. 21 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Maria Zaino, 73, and her daughter, Pina Silva, 47, owners of the Italian restaurant Villa Maria, took home the honors for East Rockaway, while David O’Neill, 49, owner of Village Car Service, was selected from Lynbrook. They are each members of their respective chambers of commerce.

Located on Main Street in East Rockaway, Villa Maria has been a part of the neighborhood for the last 14 years, and Zaino has been in the business for nearly four decades.

“I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years,” Zaino said. “Even with my brother and my husband, I was the one in charge of inventory and all that stuff, so I’ve been in this business for a long time.”

Zaino and Silva are very involved in the community, offering lunches to Lynbrook schools and nursing homes at a discounted rate. They also provide food and gift certificates to local fundraisers and sports teams.

During Hurricane Sandy, Villa Maria lost power and the food had to be thrown out. After being closed for three days, Zaino and Silva acquired a generator and received approval from the Board of Health to open back up and provide a place for those impacted by the storm to find food and comfort.

Villa Maria also employs between 15-30 people, some of whom are part-time and seasonal, while others are full-time. Zaino and Silva are proud of their restaurant, but it doesn’t come without sacrifices. They said it’s harder than ever to run a business these days and they aren’t always able to spend holidays together.

Though they won the East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award in 2004, Silva said there was some shock over earning this year’s award from the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce.

“We were surprised,” Silva said. “Especially with all of these new businesses opening up recently. It was nice to hear that we were chosen with all of these other new places coming in that are also doing well and bringing in business.”

Small Businessperson David O’Neill

David O’Neill has been a Lynbrook resident for more than 45 years and graduated from Lynbrook High School in 1985.

After noticing a lack of choices for residents when it comes to public transportation, O’Neill said that he uses his business to give back to the community by providing affordable, quality service. Part of that business model includes offering free rides to senior citizens who need transportation to doctor’s offices, high school students on their prom nights and veterans and seniors looking to vote on Election Day.

O’Neill said he was honored and thankful for the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce selecting him for the award following a board vote. “It means a lot,” he said. “Especially for someone who lived in the village for over 40 years. It’s an honor getting recognition for your business and getting recognized within five years of being in business is a tremendous honor.”

Prior to getting into the taxi business, O’Neill was in the mortgage and real estate market. He owned All Metro Mortgage and Great Bay Realty. After the mortgage crisis, he decided to start the Village Car Service in 2011.

“I want to thank my beautiful wife, my mother and my family for all their support and help,” O’Neill said. “And I’d like to thank the Lynbrook chamber for honoring me and for all their support as well, and the Lynbrook seniors. They will all help me be here for another five years and longer.”

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