East Meadow labor law attorney dies at 63

Michael C. Axelrod, a prominent labor law attorney and partner at the East Meadow law firm of Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP who represented numerous public sector labor unions in the New York metropolitan area including the New York City Firefighters and police and correction labor organizations on Long Island and in New York City, died on Jan. 7 in Roslyn. He was 63.

Well-loved and respected by his colleagues and clients for his legal expertise, fun-loving personality and charming ways, “Mikey” as he was often called, led the Labor Relations Law Group at Certilman Balin. Axelrod concentrated his practice in the areas of labor relations, discrimination law, municipal law and government relations. Over his career which spanned four decades, he was primarily engaged in representing public sector unions and negotiated numerous contracts on their behalf.

In addition, he was honored as “Law Enforcement Man of the Year” by the Nassau Police Conference and the Nassau County Detectives Association. Most recently, the New York Association of PBAs, Inc., an organization comprising more than 50 member units representing more than 40,000 police officers in New York State, honored Axelrod with the Floyd Holloway Award.

Axelrod was born on Dec. 26, 1947, and he resided in Roslyn. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1970 and went on to earn his Masters in Labor Law from New York University in 1981 and his Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in 1973. He was admitted to practice in the state of New York; U.S. District Court; the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Tax Court; and Florida.

He is survived by his wife Jane, his two daughters, Elizabeth Ann (Liz) and Kathryn (Katie), his son-in-law Dr. Benjamin Michael Brucker, and his granddaughter Olivia.
Services were conducted on Sunday at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn.

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Paul V. Pugliese

Paul V. Pugliese, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, died on Jan. 5.
He was the beloved husband of Mildred; loving father of Paul V. Jr. (Monica), Susan E. Coletti (Henry), David W. (June), Daniel Q (Denise), Carl L. (Elizabeth) and the late Carol Anne; and a cherished grandfather of eight.

Paul Pugliese was a retired BMI CL in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of East Meadow VFW Post No. 2736. Services were conducted at Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Homes in Levittown last Thursday and Friday. Interment with honors was held at the Long Island National Cemetery.

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Loretta Marie Ammirati

Loretta Marie Ammirati, of East Meadow, died on Jan. 1. She was the beloved wife of the late Russell; loving mother of Ralph, Christina and Laura; fond sister of six siblings.

Loretta Marie Ammirati (nee Nicolella) was a teacher at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead.

The family received friends at the Leo F. Kearns Funeral Home in East Meadow on Jan. 3. A Mass was held at St. Raphael’s R.C. Church on Jan. 4, followed by interment at St. Charles Cemetery.