Wantagh resident Emily Crupi reached a major milestone this month, celebrating her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends in the community she has called home for more than six decades.
To honor the occasion, her family organized a drive-by celebration outside her Wantagh home. Well-wishers lined the street with signs and balloons, and among those joining in the tribute was State Sen. Steve Rhoads, who has known Crupi since he was a child, and stopped by to recognize her lifelong contributions to the community.
Crupi was born Emily Bruno on April 8, 1926, in Brooklyn, and her early life was shaped by hardship and resilience. After losing her mother at the age of 12, she moved in with her sister, an experience that helped instill the strength and determination that would define her life.
In 1948 she married Peter Crupi, and together they built a close-knit family, raising three children. Over the years their family grew to include three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 1962 the couple settled in Wantagh, and the community would become central to Crupi’s life and legacy.
While her husband served as a detective in the New York City Police Department for 33 years, before he died in 2004, Crupi became a familiar and trusted presence as a Nassau County crossing guard at Merrick Road and Atlantic Avenue in Wantagh. For 25 years she ensured the safety of countless students at Wantagh School District, many of whom would later remember her kindness and dedication as a part of their daily routines.
One of those children was Rhoads himself, who remembers Crupi on patrol when he attended Sunrise Park.
“No matter what was going on, it was always nice to see her smiling face, always with a word of encouragement,” Rhoads recalled. “Something as simple as helping somebody cross the street was something kids looked forward to every day, because she was always smiling, always friendly. If you were in a bad mood or in a rush, it was always her personality that could set the mood right.”
Crupi was also deeply involved in parish life at St. Francis de Chantal, in Wantagh, serving as a Eucharistic minister and volunteered at the parish thrift shop. Through her faith and service, she built lasting friendships, and remained closely connected to the community.
Those connections were evident at her birthday celebration, as neighbors and local officials gathered to recognize not just her longevity, but her decades of service.
“It was special,” Rhoads said. “It was nice to see the community rally together to celebrate a momentous occasion for a special person.”
“For all the people that were there, there were probably dozens more who wanted to be there,” he added. “It really was a reflection of the lives that she’s touched throughout the course of her 100 years.”
According to her family, Crupi is thankful for the life she has led, the relatives she has nurtured and the support of the Wantagh community over the years.
