The Chamber of Commerce of the Massapequas recently named Carlo Patti, owner of Il Buon Giorno Restaurant in Massapequa, their Small-business Person of the Year.

Every year each chamber of commerce in Nassau County chooses one member of their chamber as Small-businessperson of the Year and then this person is honored by both the individual chamber and the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce.

According to the criteria, as outlined by the Nassau Council of Chambers, the person selected must "be an active member of the chamber of commerce, be the owner or manager of a business that is located in the community, and must have made a significant contribution to the local economy, to the advancement of the chamber, and made a meaningful and important contribution to the general welfare of the local community.

The board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce of the Massapequas unanimously nominated Patti as the recipient of this year's Small-businessperson of the Year Award.

Patti was born in Italy, and attended school and college before going to culinary school. When he completed his training, Patti worked in first class hotels in Rome, Taormina and Sicily. He arrived in America and graduated from International Computer Institute as a computer programmer. He also worked as a captain, bartender, maitre'd and manager for the finest restaurants in New York City.

Patti opened his first restaurant in 1986 and then opened another in 1991. In 1993, he chose Massapequa as the place in which he wanted to open his third restaurant, Il Buon Giorno.

Patti serves as both the owner and chef of Il Buon Giorno. His Northern Italian cuisine is known for lighter sauces than those often found at Italian restaurants. His menu includes risotti dishes, chicken dishes, veal entrees and Italian specialty desserts such as tirami su, tartufo, spumoni and tortoni. Il Buon Giorno also offers both on and off premises catering as well as takeout.

An active member of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce for the past five years, Patti has served as both a member of the board of directors and is presently serving his second terms as third vice president of the chamber.

According to the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce, Patti is a good person who does a lot for his community, which is why he was nominated and selected for this award.

Besides his involvement and contributions to the chamber of commerce, Patti is also a member of the local Lion's Club and the Sons of Italy.

Patti said that being honored by the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce, "Feels good," adding that it gives him a feeling of satisfaction. When asked why he thinks he was chosen for this honor, Patti responded, "The time and effort I put into the chamber of commerce, to help the community and to help the people in Massapequa."