Business Trends_December 2013

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2 BUSINESS TRENDS — DECEMBER 2013

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m e n t i o n o f t h i s a d Tax tips for year-end

charitable givingBy JOHN J. VENTOAs the year draws to a close,

you may decide to donate cash orproperty to one or more worthycauses. Besides the satisfaction of helping others, there’s another re-ward for your benevolence: a taxdeduction on your 2013 return.But keep these points in mind:

• For starters, you may onlydeduct contributions made to a le-

gitimate tax-exempt charitableorganization. Note that a quali-fied charity cannot be establishedto benefit a specific individual orfamily.

• Generally, your deduction islimited to 50% of adjusted grossincome for the year (30 percent of AGI for contributions to certaincharities and private founda-tions). Any excess may generallybe carried over for up to five

years. The deduction for gifts of property have other AGI limits.

• The tax law imposes strictsubstantiation requirements. Nodeduction is allowed for mone-tary gifts unless you maintain abank record or written communi-cation from the charity indicatingyour name and the amount anddate of donation. For contribu-tions of $250 or more, you must

obtain a contemporaneous writ-ten acknowledgement from thecharity. If you donate propertyvalued above $500, you must fileForm 8283 with your return. Inde-pendent appraisals are requiredfor property donations above$5,000.

• Typically, you may deduct thefair market value of gifts of prop-erty owned longer than one year.Any appreciation in value re-

mains untaxed. For instance, if you donate property valued at$5,000 that you acquired five yearsago for $1,000, you can deduct$5,000. But the property must beused by the charity to further itstax-exempt purpose.

• For 2013, individuals age 70½or older can transfer up to$100,000 from an IRA directly to acharity without paying any tax

on the distribution. The downsideis that the transfer doesn’t qualifyfor the charitable deduction; how-ever, it qualifies for your requiredminimum distribution.

John J. Vento is a certified publicaccountant in private practice andpresident of Comprehensive WealthManagement, Ltd. He may bereached at (718) 980-9000 or viaemail at [email protected].

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Boy Scouts annual fall luncheon

STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

The 2013 “Boy Scouts and Business” annual fall luncheon was held at LiGreci's Staaten. Pictured, fromleft, are: co-chairs Roy Danischewski and Ted Cotter Jr.; honorees Jeff Henick, Massimo DiDonna andRobert Moore; co-chair Charles DeBartolo; Master of Ceremonies Bob Cutrona; and co-chair BarringtonBurke-Green.

http://www.sichamber.com/

http://www.cmediaonline.com/



SI CHAMBER:BUILDING AWARDS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100South Ave.

For information, call 718-727-1900

EVERYTHING GOES30TH ANNIV. PARTY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7

Location: ETG Book Cafe


BREAKFASTWITH SANTA

SAT-SUN, DEC. 8-9

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Location: Applebee’s, SI Mall


ABOVE & BEYONDWITH CSI

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Above Rooftop, 1100South Ave.

RICHMOND CNTY.BANKERS ASSOC.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11

Location: Mike’s Place, 4677 HylanBlvd.


POWERFUL YOU!THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Richmond Diner, 3954Richmond Ave.


NYS WOMEN, INC.(RICHMOND CNTY.)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Bella Vita Café, 1919 Hylan

Blvd.For information, call 718-816-5991

DECEMBER 2013 — BUSINESS TRENDS 5

Business Calendar

please see EVENTS, page 16






email connection and there are somany Wi-Fi hot spots availablethat you’re almost never out of touch.

ProsBesides the amazing screen

clarity and small size/weight, itfeels faster and more responsivethan previous models, and hasabout 11-12 hour battery life, the

longest of any on the market.Also, I use a small 7-ring, zipperednotebook and this device fits inperfectly.

ConsAs expected, the new iPad Mini

with Retina Display is significant-ly more expensive than competi-tors such as the Dell Venue 7($150) or Samsung’s Galaxy ($360).I also bought the $69 Smart Case

which protects the entire device,including the back, but it some-times falls over from its proppedup position.

Bottom-lineIn my opinion, this device is a

wow – it has all the advantages of the full size iPad Air with a small-er footprint. If you are an Applehome or office, and can afford it,the purchase decision is a no-brainer. I have learned from expe-rience that you should try to buythe best technology, that you canafford, that meets your needs –

don’t “cheap it” if you can help it.Check them out at an Apple Storeor electronics retailer and don’tforget your credit card. HappyNew Year to all!

Bill Dubovsky - Comtel InformationServices, has a proven track recordof business success spanning over30 years in helping hundreds of or-ganizations improve their profitabili-ty. He is the principal technology

specialist with Comtel InformationServices, a New York based telecom-munications consulting firm, and anadjunct lecturer in business at theCollege of Staten Island, C.U.N.Y.Contact him via email [email protected].

iPad Mini product review

BITSContinued from page 6

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By DR. THEODORE STRANGEIt’s the most wonderful time of

the year, but it could be the worstfor your health. The holidays are

almost here and there’s a lot to do:shopping, visiting family andfriends and work parties galore.With all this going on, it’s easy tolose sight of the greatest gift of all – your health.

Temptation is everywhere:holiday office parties and celebra-tions, all while practically livingin your car. Drive-thru seems likean easy option, but try and stayoff the naughty list and preparehealthy meals the night before.

Save your waistline while savingmoney! According to the NationalInstitutes of Health, holiday eat-ing can result in an extra poundor two every year. These extrapounds can lead to an obesityproblem down the road.

Heart attack tip: Know yourlimits when snow shoveling. Ac-cording to the American HeartAssociation, the mix of coldweather and exertion – especiallyif you’re not in the best of shape – elevates the risk of a heart attack.

When you come in from the cold,make sure the first thing youdrink is water - not a hot toddy(alcoholic beverage).

While we’re on the subject, al-cohol is a staple for the celebra-tions in many homes; celebrateresponsibly. As a hospital physi-cian, I’ve seen firsthand howdrinking and driving don’t mix -

it’s a prescription for disaster. If you’re going to a holiday officeparty and you’re going to drink,plan ahead and get a ride, orarrange for a cab. If you reallywant to reward your employeesfor all their hard work this year,provide transportation and makesure everyone arrives home alive!

A great way to de-stress is togive back. Start a collection atyour office and pick a cause tohelp take the burden off someone

else. If your office is receiving alarge number of gift baskets andgoodies galore, find places to do-nate them during the holidays.

If you’re looking for a goodtime with the family, visit Joe Di-Martino’s holiday display inRossville. To date, Joe has raisedover $120,000 for the pediatriccancer program at SIUH. It’s a lotof fun and a great cause. The Di-Martino house is located at 107Sharrotts Ave. on the South Shoreof Staten Island (between Bloom-

ingdale Road and Arthur KillRoad)

Have a happy, healthy and safeholiday!

Theodore Strange is Staten IslandUniversity Hospital associate chair-man of medicine and vice presidentof medical operations/South Site. Hemay be reached at (718) 356-6500.


Small Business Financing, It’s a jungle out there!

1361 North Railroad Ave

Staten Island, NY 10306

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JoAnn Libretti

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Leave the banking jungle behind, and join the civilized small business financing worldof Empire State Bank: Trusted Advice, Local Decisions and Prompt Answers.

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S teve White

6 Genesee AvenueStaten Island, NY 10308

Phone: 718.317.5025Cell: 917.446.4029Email: s ta tenar [email protected]

WeddingsSweet 16’s

AnniversariesBirthday Parties

Much much more!..................................

Health for the holidaysHEALTH-CARE TRENDS

Send us your Staten Island business news

Want to send us news, story ideas, op-eds or information to publish?Drop us an email: [email protected].

http://www.esbna.com/






















































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That's what we're all about

718-720-16001190 Hylan Boulevard

Staten Island, NY 10305-1920www.heroldinc.com

Bernard Herold & Co., Inc. - A Name You Can Trust

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MONDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Kiwanis Club of Richmond Co.:LaFontana Restaurant, 2879 AmboyRd. 7 p.m. For info, call 718-420-1966.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nocharge. For info, call the SBDC at718-982-2560.

TUESDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Direct120.com, Ultimate ThinkTank: Lorenzo’s, 1100 South Ave. Forinfo, visit www.direct120.com.

Kiwanis Club of South Shore:LaFontana, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7:30p.m. For info, call 718-370-2770.

SCORE Business Counseling: S.I.Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9

a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-essary. No charge. For info, call 718-727-1221.

Business Guild I of the S.I. Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton GardenInn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Mem-bers and invited guests only. Forinfo, call Jim Thomson at 718-442-0900.

Business Network Int’l. (BNI) Net-work Alliance Chapter: Z-OneLounge, 1821 Richmond Ave. 7 to

8:30 a.m. For info, call TimothyHouston at 718-981-8600.

Rotary Club Staten Island: LiGre-ci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to1:30 p.m. Members and guests wel-

come. For info, call 718-370-3140.College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: Chamber ofCommerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. Nocharge. For info, call the SBDC at718-982-2560.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nocharge. For info, call the SBDC at718-982-2560.

WEDNESDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Richmond County Referral Source:Comfort Inn. 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. Forinfo, email [email protected]

Staten Island Business Council:Lorenzo’s at Hilton Garden Inn, 1100South Ave. 7 a.m. Members andinvited guests only. For info, call 347-855-4488 or send an e-mail to

[email protected] Business Network: Hamp-ton Inn, 1120 South Ave. 7:45 a.m.For info, call 718-351-2557 or visitwww.sibucks.com.

Kiwanis Club of Brighton: Jody’sClub Forest, 372 Forest Ave. 7:30p.m. For info, call 718-348-0505.

Kiwanis Club of North Central:

WEEKLY MEETINGS

please see MEETINGS, page 12

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LiGreci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave.7:30 p.m. For info, call Len Bosso at

718-442-7804.

Rotary Club of Gateway: The LakeClub, 1150 Clove Rd. 7:15 p.m. For

info, call 718-447-1509.SCORE Business Counseling:Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St.9 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-sary. No charge. For info, call 718-727-1221.

E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership,Interactive, Team, Effort) Net-working Group: 1110 South Ave. 8a.m. New members welcome. Forinfo, call 347-273-1375.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forinfo, call 718-982-2560.

THURSDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Kiwanis Club of Staten Island:LiGreci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave.7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345or kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com.

Rotary Club of South Shore: Mari-na Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15 p.m.For info, call 718-987-2061 or visitsouthshorerotary.org.

Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dako-ta Diner, 921 Richmond Ave. 7:30 to9:00 a.m. Call 718-981-0700.

SCORE Business Counseling: SIBank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-essary. No charge. For info, call 718-727-1221.

Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGre-

ci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m.For info, call Chris Williams at 718-442-9047.

Business Network Int’l. (BNI) HighAchievers Chapter: PK’s Restau-rant,1281 Arthur Kill Rd. 7 to 8:30

a.m. For info, call Timothy Houstonat 718-981-8600.

Business Guild II of the S.I. Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton GardenInn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45a.m. Members and invited guestsonly. For info, call Ken Schneider at718-720-4980.

Business Guild III of the SI Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton GardenInn, 1100 South Ave. 7:30 a.m. Newmembers welcome. Call MelodyMinkoff at 718-370-0040.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.

Business Counseling:CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forinfo, call 718-982-2560.

Community Emergency ResponseTeam (CERT): 7 p.m. For info. andlocations, call John Tidona at 718-448-7160 or [email protected].

FRIDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –

MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

SATURDAYSCORE Business Counseling: St.George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10a.m. to noon. Appointment neces-sary. No charge. For info, call 718-442-8560.

SCORE Business Counseling: Rich-mondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave.

10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-sary. For info, call 718-668-0413.


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Short Sales, Mortgage Modification,Foreclosure Defense

Weekly meetings

MEETINGSContinued from page 10






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Business Before Dark

Special to Business Trends

At the recent “Business Before Dark” expo held at The Historic Old Bermuda Inn, John Scalia is sur-rounded by Christine Fiorenza (left) and Debi Surmanek of Ivy Branding and Marketing Group, who pre-sented the event, along with Mercedes Benz of Brooklyn.







http://www.fineartfotos.com/



KEVIN MURPHYRichmond University Medical Center

Richmond University MedicalCenter announced the hiring of Kevin Murphy as chief financial

officer at the hospital.Murphy comes to the organiza-

tion with extensive experience innetwork/business development

and in reengineering initiatives,inclusive of growth opportunitiesand cost reduction initiatives.Most recently, Murphy was theexecutive vice president of net-

work/business development forthe Eastern Connecticut HealthNetwork – a $280 million healthsystem.

Additionally, he has served asCFO at HealthStar/Stellaris andWhite Plains Hospital Center. Hehas his Masters in public admin-istration from Long Island Uni-versity and serves on HochanumValley Community Council boardand the advisory board for Man-chester Community College.

FORMATIONStaten Island

Collaborative Law Group

A group of Staten Island pro-fessionals announced the forma-tion of the Staten Island Collabo-rative Law Group. Collaborativelaw is a more affordable andsomewhat less intimidating alter-native to a typical legal battle.Newly introduced to the borough,the process provides a means forvoluntary dispute resolution in

which parties settle without re-sorting to litigation, and oftenends with a written agreementthat can be incorporated into alegally binding document, whichcan be used in a Judgment of Di-vorce. The method involves a se-ries of joint meetings between thedisputing parties, their lawyers,and, sometimes, additional inter-disciplinary team members.

With a membership comprised

of specially trained attorneys,mental health professionals andfinancial specialists, Staten Is-land Collaborative Law Group isStaten Island’s first and only or-

ganization of professionals edu-cated and trained in the collabo-rative model of conflict resolu-tion. Members include: attor-neys Anne-Louise DePalo, GaryS. Tremer, Joan L. Tremer, KellyL. Wren, William J. Leininger,and Francine Pickett Cohen; fi-nancial professionals Joseph E.Torres, William Blanco, and JohnC. D’Angelo, CPA; and mentalhealth professionals Aldo Fossel-la and Philip Garippa, licensedclinical social workers.

For additional informationabout the Staten Island Collabora-tive Law Group and the Collabo-rative Law process, or to inquireabout becoming a member of theorganization, call (718) 351-3748 orvisit www.sicollaborativelaw.org.

MARYANN SANTAGATAMarco Wealth Strategies Group

Marco Wealth StrategiesGroup welcomed new team mem-

ber Maryann Santagata asbranch office manager. Santaga-ta’s responsibilities include themanagement of daily operationsfor the Garden City, Long Islandand Staten Island branches. Sheprovides support to two financialadvisors who offer securitiesthrough First Allied Securities,Inc. She has a broad and diverse


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Join national companies like Time WarnerCable, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and localbusinesses like Jealan Fireplaces and The PoolTherapist. To learn more, visit the Offer Boardat www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers.

on the job

please see JOBS, page 21

http://www.fineartfotos.com/

http://www.rumcsi.org/



Dr. Philip Otterbeck,Division of Endocrinology Chair






DECEMBER 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 21




ACCOUNTANTS andTAX PREPARERS:

Do you have any New York Liquor License issues?

Then call…

NEIL M. VISOKYAttorney at Law

Retired Lieutenant, NYCPD

• License Transfers and Applications

• Summonses and Disciplinary Defense

• Renewals/Alterations

The Corporate Park

1110 South Avenue, Suite 54 • Staten Island, NY 10314Tel 347-273-1356 • Fax 347-273-1456 • Email [email protected]

Successor of Alexander Weiss, Esq.Former Deputy Commissioner

New York State Liquor Authority

business background, whichbegan from an early career in thedental field as a dental assistant.Most recently, she held a positionas a broker's assistant in real es-tate. Santagata is a native StatenIslander and currently resides inAnnandale with her husband andthree sons.

GEORGE K. WONICARealtor of the Year Award

George K. Wonica has beenpresented with the prestigious2013 Realtor of the Year Award bythe New York State Association of Realtors.

The Albany-based not-for-prof-it trade organization representsmore than 47,000 of the state'sreal estate professionals. Wonica,a past president and active mem-ber of the Staten Island Board of

Realtors, is the broker/owner of Castleton Corners-based WonicaRealtors & Appraisers, a firm he

founded more than four decadesago.

The honor recognizes out-standing service to NYSAR at thelocal, state and national levels, astrict adherence to the high prin-ciples of the National Associationof Realtors Code of Ethics and acommitment to civic activity andbusiness accomplishments.

KAMILLAH HANKSNeighborhood Leadership Program

Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steeland Small Business ServicesCommissioner Robert W. Walsh,along with the Coro New YorkLeadership Center, graduated thethird class of the NeighborhoodLeadership program.

Neighborhood Leadership isan award-winning training pro-gram that provides individualswho work to strengthen New York

City’s commercial corridors withthe tools, experiences and net-works they need to develop new

ways to lead change in their or-ganizations and communities.Among this year’s NeighborhoodLeadership graduates was StatenIsland's Kamillah Hanks.

Hanks is currently the Presi-dent/CEO of Historical TappenPark Community Partnershipand her Neighborhood ChangeProject focuses on promoting Tap-pen Park as a viable venue forpositive community arts, cultur-al, and educational programs andevents in Stapleton. She is the

former Executive Director of theDowntown Staten Island Counciland led the organization's effortsto drive economic developmentand commercial revitalization of the downtown Staten Island busi-ness district. Most recently, shewas appointed in 2012 by theCouncil Minority Caucus to serveon the NYC Districting Commis-sion.

On the Job

JOB

Continued f rom pag e 18

mailto:[email protected]













DECEMBER 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 23

S T A T E N I S L A N D

C H A P T E R

SCORE is the most recognizedand utilized provider of FREE

Confidential Counselingand Mentoring services to America’s

small businesses.

For the life of your business

Let SCORE help YOU!

for something, you don’t get it,”Tom said.

In the past, Scaran wasn’t ask-ing much from their vendors, butnow that they are asking, they arereceiving. They used to house asheet metal shop in the ware-house but have since outsourcedthe service to other companieswho can turn around the workmuch quicker and more efficient-ly.

Scaran has also changed theway they conduct internal officebusiness. The company consoli-dated its accounting and cus-tomer service departments fromthree locations to one, which hasvastly improved its efficiency andhas lead to better customer serv-ice.

Through the frantic rush to re-

pair and replace residentialheaters following the storm, Tomsaid the company realized that by

working more efficiently withscheduling, it could handle threetimes the work that it did before,with the same staff.

“By just changing the way wescheduled our workers, we wereable to increase our volume of work,” he said.

Most importantly, HurricaneSandy reinforced a tenet thatScaran’s owners have beenpreaching since Day One – pre-paredness.

“We realized you do have to

have a disaster plan,” Tom said.“You do have to make sure you’reprepared.

“We have a different perspec-tive on the business operation,and even on business operationaccounts.”

So today, Scaran recommendsto his customers that can’t affordsignificant downtime to be pre-

pared with back-up generatorsand other emergency equipment.Any business, in any industry,

can in some way benefit from bet-ter efficiencies, whether learnedthrough a disaster or not.

Tom said he and his brotherwere lucky following the storm.Two days after Sandy’s landfall,they were scratching their headswondering how they’d recover.But thanks to their wonderfulstaff, whether they’d recover wasnot long in question.

“We knew in our heart of hearts that this wasn’t going tostop us. But our employees

stepped up,” Tom said. “Everysingle employee was at the shoptwo days after the storm. Theirdedication, right after the storm,was crucial in getting us back upand running after the storm. It’ssomething that we appreciatedand are really thankful for. Andwe know that in the future, wecan count on them.”

Scaran learns from Sandy

SCARAN

Continued f rom pag e 22




24 BUSINESS TRENDS DECEMBER 2013

around the island

STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

Local accounting and finance professional John J. Vento did a free presentation at theRichmondtown branch of the NY Public Library to share the insights from his newbook, “Financial Independence: Getting to Point X.” Pictured are Vento (left) and at-tendee Louis Cugno.

THOMAS PALLADINO/Special to Business Trends

From left, Avis Budget Group District Manager Christopher Duvally joins hoteliers Loisand Richard Nicotra and Avis Budget Group Regional Vice President Mark Osbourne, atthe grand opening of the new Avis Budget car rental kiosk at the Hampton Inn andSuites in Bloomfield. This is the first Avis Budget location on Staten Island.

JANET DUGO/Business Trends

At the Neighborhood Housing Services 31st Anniversary Dinner Dance & Awards Cere-mony are, from left, NHS Executive Director Alfred Gill, NHS Board President VincentAlbunio, Karen Jackson of Long-Term Recovery Organization, Deborah Johnson ofChase Bank, Dee and Ryan Weitzel, and Salvatore Ceraulo of the NYC Dept. of Sanita-tion.

Special to Business Trends

Members of the SI Chamber of Commerce marked the one-year anniversary of ArenaSteakhouse and Lounge with the owners and staff at the restaurant's Arthur Kill Roadlocation.

http://www.siedc.org/



http://www.siedc.org/







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Business Trends_December 2013