The Glen Cove Council of PTAs has announced that Vincent A. Suozzi has been chosen as their honoree for the 2002 Community Scholarship Dinner Dance, Sunday, March 10.

Vincent Suozzi, otherwise known as Jimmy, was born in 1926 in New York City. His parents Michele and Rosa moved to Glen Cove a couple of years later. Jimmy, his brothers, Mike and Joe and his sister Rose all grew up in the Orchard/Franklin Park area. He graduated from St. Dominic's High School in 1944 and was drafted. He served two years in the army. Part of this time was in Italy. After military service, Jimmy returned to Glen Cove and attended St. John's University under the GI Bill. He graduated in 1950 with a BBA in accounting. That same year, Jimmy married Theresa M. Cioffi. They have been married for 52 years and have seven children, Roseanne, Michael, Mary Louise Amilicia (Frank), Ralph, Vincent, Jr. (Anna), Teresa Stroppel (Jack) and James and seven grandchildren.

Jimmy has always been an active member of the Glen Cove community. As a young man he worked with the Glen Cove Community Chest. The Community Chest raised money to maintain the Community House in the Orchard. This was a home away from home for all kids in the area and a place to go for after school activities.

Jimmy was involved in Coles School PTA and Glen Cove High School PTSA. He is very proud to state that all seven of his children graduated from Glen Cove High School. Jimmy was a community leader in the struggle to keep Coles School open. Currently, he is active in keeping Coles School as a public asset belonging to the people of Glen Cove.

Jimmy remembers being one of the first altar boys at St. Rocco's church and continues as an active member. For the past four years, Jimmy has been the chairman of the St. Rocco's Annual Feast. He is a member of the Sons of Italy, Knights of Columbus, VFW and the American Legion. He is a past treasurer of the Elks. He has been a Boy Scout leader and sat on the board of directors of junior baseball, and was official scorekeeper for St. Patrick's CYO travel basketball team, coached by Gil Gallego.

In the 1950s Jimmy was appointed to the Glen Cove Planning Board. He was deputy county treasurer in the late '60s. Jimmy was the first chairman of the Glen Cove Golf Course Commission. On Jan. 1, 1973, Jimmy Suozzi was appointed mayor of the City of Glen Cove to succeed Andrew Di Paola, who became a Supreme Court Judge. Jimmy then was elected mayor in 1973, 1975, and 1977. In 1981, he was an aide to former Governor Hugh Carey and was again elected mayor of Glen Cove and served from 1984 through '87. Jimmy was mayor of Glen Cove for a total of 11 years. Some of the highlights of his numerous accomplishments while mayor are the centralized control of the various city departments under the mayor's office, the established celebration of Martin Luther King Day and in May, 1986, Jimmy had Sturno, Italy, declared the sister city of Glen Cove. Under his direction, the EMS was created along with the fishing piers, sewer plants and tennis courts on Old Tappen Road. In 1997, Jimmy was honored by the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce as the "Person of the Year." Jimmy is a director of the American Community Bank and is now the controller for the City of Glen Cove.

The Community Scholarship dinner dance will be held on Sunday, March 10, 6 p.m. at the Swan Club. All proceeds from the dinner dance will be donated to the Glen Cove Community Scholarship Fund which awards scholarships to deserving Glen Cove High School graduating seniors. Tickets to the dance are $60 per person, and include cocktails, dinner and dancing. Music will be provided by the award winning Glen Cove High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Richard Rosselli. Dale Zubrick will be the master of ceremonies. Additional information may be obtained by contacting PTA Council President Georgene Grella at 676-8685.