By:Nick Buglione
Part accountant and part pizza man, Arigo has lived in East Meadow nearly his whole life. For the past five years, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of the community, as an active member of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce.
In recognition of his contributions, the chamber named Arigo its small businessman of the year at a ceremony in the Crest Hallow Country Club last Friday.
I had no clue at all, said Arigo, 49, on receiving his award. [Chamber President] Brandon Bloom said he wanted to get together and go over a few things, and that-s when I found out.
As a certified public accountant and owner of Pietro-s Pizza on East Meadow Avenue, Arigo has become one of the community-s most active leaders. Currently vice president of the chamber, he-s set to take the reins as president in just a few months. In recent years he has served on a number of chamber committees, helping organize annual fund-raisers such as the Day at the Races and the Culinary Delights event.
Arigo is perhaps best known for his yearly contributions to East Meadow Community Pride Day, a free festival at which all the food, rides and attractions are donated or sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Arigo and his Pietro-s staff spend an entire day preparing, shuttling and serving some 200 pizzas to the crowd at Speno Park.
East Meadow is really a premiere town, and the main reason is the community involvement, he said. It keeps the community strong. The people of the community keep the standards high.
Prior to his involvement with the chamber, Arigo, a father of five, coached in the East Meadow Little League and served on the St. Raphael-s Roman Catholic Church Finance Committee. A year ago, he decided to join the East Meadow Kiwanis.
He is the most generous type of person I-ve ever met, said Dolores Rome, a colleague with the chamber. Whenever we-re in a bind or anything, he-s there. He dedicates so much time to any cause.
He never says no, said John Tufarelli, a chamber member who has worked closely with Arigo on a number of projects. He-s always there. He-s definitely an asset to the community and very deserving of the award.
The son of an engineer, Arigo and his family moved into a house on Hilda Street in East Meadow when he was 5. A graduate of East Meadow High School, he met his wife, Carol, when he was 16.
It was a very comfortable place to live, said Arigo, noting that he always knew he wanted to spend his life here. You had your friends; there were still some farms left. It was an easy, laid-back atmosphere.
Since he always worked well with numbers, Arigo enrolled in Hofstra University to study accounting. After college he earned his certification, and he joined a small firm in Mineola in 1979.
Three years earlier, his father-in-law had turned a run-down pizzeria on East Meadow Avenue into Pietro-s Pizza. Though Arigo made partner at the firm, the long hours and time away from his children eventually convinced Arigo to go to work on his own.
When his father-in-law died in 1986, Arigo began helping out at the pizzeria. I used to come in and keep an eye on things, and help my mother-in-law, he said. I couldn-t make pizza. The only thing I could do was deliver.
He continued his accounting work, learning the pizza business at night. In the early 1990s, Arigo and his wife bought the business, and have run it ever since. It was my father-in-law-s heart and soul, and it was kind of like keeping his dream alive, he said. I wanted the pizzeria to stay in the family.
And Pietro-s is truly a family affair. Four of Arigo-s five children either work or have worked there. The youngest, 14, will eventually join the staff, he said.
Arigo-s accounting office is at 474 East Meadow Ave., conveniently attached to Pietro-s, at 476 East Meadow, where he happily juggles two professions. With years of experience now under his belt, Arigo swears he can make a mean pizza.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
