Franklin Square man decorates homes, businesses for the holidays

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Larry Cozzolino has always been into art, from the time he was a child spray painting the windows at Phil’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Massapequa to the time he was a young adult painting motorcycles.

Now, his work can be seen in windows throughout Franklin Square — at storefronts like Prince Umberto’s, Sew Fine Embroidery, Little Enrico’s Pizzeria and the Philly Pretzel Factory, as well as Deborah Detz Clark’s house on Rosegold Street.

“I guess people call me through word of mouth,” Cozzolino, 40, said, noting that he also paints murals for children’s rooms and restaurants.

He even made a spray painted lawn sign for Clark’s childrens’ birthdays over the pandemic, and immediately following Thanksgiving, she called him to decorate her sliding glass doors for Christmas — Cozzolino’s busiest time of the year. “I’m a little fanatical with decorating for Christmas,” Clark explained.

So, Cozzolino came over to her house earlier this month and spent about an hour spray painting and airbrushing the doors while Clark’s 4-year-old daughter, Charlotte, watched him with awe.

He bases his designs off of the space available and the type of business or household he is working with. At bakeries, for example, he said he would spray paint Santa Claus eating doughnuts, and at pizzerias, he has decorated stereotypical Italian scenes. At Clark’s house, meanwhile, he painted Charlotte, who calls him “my Larry,” as an elf.

Then, after the holiday season is over, Cozzolino said he will go back to the businesses and houses and scrape off his designs, and replace them with Valentine’s Day decorations. “If it’s not one thing,” he said, “I’m doing something else.”

For more information about Cozzolino’s work, visit his Instagram @WyldStyle_NY, or call him at (516) 713 - 6271.