HAPPY LABOR DAY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 Thursday, August 31, 2023 ~ Volume 135 ~ Issue Number 41 ~ $1.00
Ribbon Cutting For Mannino’s Commack Building
Credit: Matt Meduri
By Matt Meduri An ongoing conversation in Smithtown has been that of revitalization and rebuilding. Through recent successes of sewer projects, as well as construction of apartments on Main Street, local government has been all in on revitalizing the town. However, this is not exclusive to Smithtown proper, as the revitalization efforts are spreading to other hamlets within Smithtown. Friday, August 25, saw the ribbon-cutting of a brand-new building in the shopping center on the corner of Veterans Highway and Harned Road just before the Sunken Meadow State Parkway. The building comes as a much-needed facelift compared to older, less-trafficked properties in the area. However, the building isn’t just a welcomed addition to the area, but it’s also a product of efforts and organization of a well-known and revered Smithtown family. Frank Mannino, as well as his brothers Joe and John, founded Mannino’s Italian Restaurant in Commack in 1996. This later spawned an Oakdale location on Montauk Highway.
In the empty, overgrown lot next to the shopping center with Woodhull Tavern, 7-11, and The Shade Shop, Mannino, along with Nicholas Matto, have transformed the property with a sleek, contemporary-looking building that is set to house tenants to benefit the hamlet of Commack. This is not unusual for the Mannino’s as their Oakdale location was a product of renovation that became their largest restaurant until their Commack move in 2014. The new space is already bustling with commerce, as Starbucks now operates on the first floor with a drive-through and inside seating on the first floor closest to the neighboring parking lot. An additional benefit will come in the form of an NYU Langone clinic in the other part of the building, and there will still be room to spare for other tenants. Friday’s ribbon-cutting was almost stunted by the rain, but Frank Mannino, members of the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, as well as Smithtown elected officials and candidates convened on the property regardless.
Continued on page 3
FULL STORIES ON:
A Message From Senator Palumbo Page 7
2024 Debate Commentary Page 12
Suffolk Leg. Race Previews Page 13