John Cronin has been preparing for his big moment. As grand marshal of the 38th Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, he says he has already begun practicing greeting the crowd.
“I’m practicing my parade wave,” he said.
Cronin, a native of Huntington, will lead the parade on March 22, when it steps off at 1 p.m., continuing a tradition that has become one of the North Shore’s most anticipated spring celebrations.
Parade Committee President Lisa Forgione first saw Cronin’s enthusiasm in December when members of the committee invited John and his parents to meet them at St. Patrick’s Church after he was selected as a finalist for grand marshal.
“I waited outside for him,” Forgione recalled. “And here he comes walking, and he’s waving with his arm up in the air. So I said, ‘Hey,’ so I waved back and he says, ‘I’m practicing my parade wave.’ Oh, from that second, I fell in love with this guy.”
Cronin, who just turned 30, is co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, an online business he created with his father, Mark X. Cronin, in 2016. Born with Down syndrome, Cronin has become a nationally recognized entrepreneur and advocate. He was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2026 in the Social Impact category becoming the first person with the condition ever to appear on the list.
“John belongs in that company,” his father said. “Not because of a feel-good story. Not because of sympathy. But because of what he has built and what he continues to build.”
The business began when John was nearing the end of his time at Huntington High School and Wilson Tech, in Dix Hills.
“When John was in his last year of high school … he couldn’t find any good job or a good program to join,” Mark recounted.
“I want to create one — I want to make one,” John told his father at the time. “I want to sell crazy socks. It’s fun. It’s colorful. It’s rare. It always lets me be me. I wore crazy socks my whole life.”
Mark agreed. “He would create his own job,” he said. “And he came to me and said, ‘Dad, let’s go into business together.’”
The online store was launched by just the two of them. “It tested well,” Mark said. “So we grew the business. We’re now in our 10th year. We have shipped over 500,000 packages to 94 different countries. John has now donated over $800,000 to our charity partners. We’ve created dozens of jobs, and more than half of those were held by people with different abilities.”
At peak season, during the holidays, the company employs 30 people, more than 20 of whom have different abilities.
Cronin’s work extends beyond retail. He and his father travel the country, speaking about disability employment issues. They have testified before Congress twice, and they meet regularly with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“That creates an obligation on our part to speak up for people,” Mark said. “That advocacy is a very important part of what we do.”
One of their focuses has been eliminating the federal sub-minimum wage, allowed under Section 14C of the Fair Labor Standards Act. “When we started, there were over 400,000 people being paid less than minimum wage,” Mark said. “Now it’s down to under 40,000 people. We still have a distance to go, but that’s a lot of progress.”
Beyond business and advocacy, John Cronin often shares encouragement with others who may be struggling or unsure of their next step.
“My advice, follow your heart,” he said. “Follow your dreams. Work hard. So you can, too.”
Forgione said that Cronin rose to the top of the Parade Committee’s list of finalists for parade marshal during its selection process. The committee initially considered three finalists — one from Glen Cove, one from Hicksville and Cronin. The parade does not require the honoree to be Irish or from Glen Cove.
“It has to be somebody that did something well for our community, which is the whole Nassau County,” Forgione said.
The parade receives no municipal funding, and relies entirely on donations and banner sponsorships. Last year the committee donated $12,500 to the Boys and Girls Club of Glen Cove.
“This is a very special day not only for the Irish, but also for the whole North Shore,” Forgione said. “Everybody comes out that day.”
Cronin, for his part, is ready. “I’m really excited to be grand marshal,” he said. “And I’m really excited about the parade.”
Those who want to support the parade can purchase banners, make donations or become sponsors. Banners, often bought by local businesses, are displayed along the parade route. For information, visit glencoveparade.com, reach out on the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade Facebook page, or call Forgione at (516) 528-5180.
