Thursday, October 1, 2026
Anthony J. “Tony” Santino, 64, a longtime public servant who was supervisor of the Town of Hempstead from 2016 to 2018 and most recently served as an East Rockaway village trustee, died on Nov. 6 from an undisclosed illness.
In a decades-long career in government and community service, Santino left a lasting mark on Long Island. Before becoming Hempstead’s chief executive, he served as a town councilman, and became the longest-tenured Republican on the Town Board.
Santino began his first stint on the East Rockaway village board in 1983, at age 22, and served for eight years, two of them as deputy mayor. After working for Lent, he joined the staff of the Nassau County Board of Supervisors. Prior to his election to the Town Board, Santino was the town’s director of communications for six and a half years, and spent 22 years on the board before becoming supervisor.
During his tenure, he oversaw numerous initiatives and projects that reflected his focus on local quality of life and community improvement. Among his most notable achievements was the construction of the town’s September 11 Memorial at Point Lookout, honoring the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
A devoted member of his faith community, Santino served as a lector at St. Raymonds Catholic Church, in East Rockaway, for more than 40 years. He was also active in civic and fraternal organizations including the Knights of Columbus, the East Rockaway Kiwanis Club and the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America.
Santino’s commitment to public service extended beyond politics. In 2017 he was honored by the Hewlett-based Center for Adult Life Enrichment for his years of community involvement. His eighth-grade math teacher, Rosalind Deutschman, attended the event, and reminisced about her “quiet and astute” former student, recalling that he was part of an accelerated class that took the ninth-grade math Regents exam early.
His funeral Mass was Nov. 12 at St. Raymond.
