By Hector Flores
Bonilla, who is likely the first Hispanic to hold higher office in the once all-white Town of Hempstead government, recently moved from Seaford to Bellmore, so the Herald sat down with him for an interview.
Bonilla, an attorney who won election as the town clerk two years ago, enjoys visiting kids in schools. He tells them that if they work hard, they can become anything they want. ³I always think about what it means to be an American,² said Bonilla, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico. ³And I look at the last four letters of the word, ŒI can,' and I think how fitting that is that people like my parents came to this country with the American dream and found it. It¹s there in the word. You can be whatever you want, as long as you believe in yourself and give it 100 percent.²
As town clerk, Bonilla, 43, oversees a staff of 75. He is the keeper of all town records. His office handles marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, passports, and fishing, hunting and dog licenses. His office is also in charge of town taxi, towing, parking, block-party and parade permits.
Before winning election, Bonilla, a Republican from a family of Democrats, was a private-sector attorney who practiced criminal, landlord-tenant, divorce and insurance law.
He credits his success to his parents, Manuel and Daisy, who came to the U.S. in the 1950s. Mark was the seventh of eight children in the Bonilla household. ³My parents had five children of their own, and by the time I was 3 years old, they had adopted three of my cousins whose mom had died from cancer,² Bonilla recalled. ³I never considered them my cousins; they were my brothers and sisters. It was eight of us. It wasn¹t easy, but my parents made ends meet. I always had fun, and I can¹t say that I ever noticed any hardships. I did see that a lot of kids were different from us, but for the most part, we were taken care of. We received the essentials. We were a great family unit and were very close. I loved being in a full house.²
Bonilla¹s father worked long hours at a cleaning company. His mother stayed at home at first, but eventually worked as a Spanish-English translator for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and eventually for the U.S. Marshal's Office.
When the Bonillas later moved from St. Albans, Queens, where they originally settled, to Seaford, only Mark and his sister Stephanie were left in the house. Mark started his sophomore year at Island Trees High School in Levittown.
He went on to NYU, and after two years, transferred to St. John's in Queens, where he earned a degree in criminal justice. He then got his law degree from Touro Law Center on Long Island. To support himself, Bonilla worked with his father in the cleaning business and attended law school at night.
"I had decided to study criminal justice because of my mother's background as an interpreter for law enforcement," he explained. "At first I wanted to be in the FBI or in the Marshal's Office. I just wanted to make a difference in people's lives, and I thought law enforcement was the way to go."
Bonilla said his parents taught him about the importance of hard work. "My father inspired us a lot," he said. "He never told us what to do; he just taught us by example. He would come home always tired, but he would always make time for us. I think that is the best way children learn, through example. And I would see my father work these crazy hours, and I knew that in order to get anywhere in life, you had to work hard."
Bonilla has been married for 15 years. He and his wife, Karen, have four children -- Jared, 11, Alec, 8, Elena, 6, and Sophia, 2.
"My brothers and sisters have all done very well raising their families," he said. "Through my parents, I learned that success is being happy with what you're doing and making a difference. You just can't put a price tag on that. I plan on helping my children find what they want to do and be the best at it. Whether it be a window cleaner or a mechanic, I just want them to do their best."
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
