East Rockaway activist awarded as one of Long Island's ‘40 Under 40’

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East Rockaway resident Dan Caracciolo was honored by Long Island Business News as part of the paper’s 40 Under 40 list at a ceremony at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Feb. 8.

“This is the 20th anniversary of the awards ceremony, so it was a big show,” Caracciolo said.

Each year, LIBN honors 40 members of the Long Island business community who are under the age of 40. Those who are selected “have already begun to distinguish themselves in business, politics and the nonprofit sector,” the award reads.

Since 2011, Caracciolo, 37, has worked as a commercial relationship manager for HSBC Bank in Melville. As part of his job, he helps technology businesses and food and beverage industries grow on Long Island and nationally. He also provides financial literacy classes to high-stress areas on Long Island and volunteers as a Global Citizen Science Leader, seeking to provide and protect water sources around the world.

But it was Caracciolo’s work for East Rockaway residents that got the attention of Michael Martino, who used to work for the Nassau County Department of Public Works. In his job, Martino dealt with Caracciolo on East Rockaway-related issues. “Dan was really hard to work with because he never stopped fighting for his community,” Martino joked. “He became educated on every issue facing his community, and he uses that information to help his community.”

Caracciolo volunteers much of his time to help East Rockaway residents. He is the president of the East Rockaway Education Foundation, which raises grant money to support the East Rockaway School District’s programs. Caracciolo is also a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Living With the Bay, which seeks to make the communities around Mill River more resilient to future storms, and was essential in getting a crossing guard installed on the corner of Ocean and Atlantic avenues.

Martino nominated Caracciolo for the honor in November, and he found out that he won in December. “It was an honor to be nominated,” Caracciolo said, “and I’m thrilled that I was selected.”