New Rochelle Parks Ceremony for Monteleone Family Donation - August 3, 2026
New Rochelle Parks Ceremony for Monteleone Family Donation - August 3, 2026
On August 3, 2026, at 6:30 PM, the City of New Rochelle held a dedication ceremony at Dino Frio Park to honor Lou and Sandy Monteleone for their $400,000 donation to renovate the park. The event celebrated the new playground, including a zip line, and recognized the community efforts that made the project possible. The ceremony featured remarks from Parks Commissioner Vin Parisi, Mayor Yadira Ramos Herbert, Councilman Al Tarantino, and donor Lou Monteleone, who spoke about the importance of giving back to the community.
Consent Calendar
- No routine approvals or unanimous actions were discussed; the meeting was exclusively a dedication ceremony.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments or testimony from community members were made; only invited speakers addressed the audience.
Discussion Items
- Parks Commissioner Vin Parisi opened the ceremony, thanking city departments (Buildings, Fire, DPW, Police), the youth bureau, recreation staff, and the Jefferson Elementary School Summer Daycamp for attending. He highlighted the rarity of a private donation of this size in local government and praised the Monteleone family's generosity.
- Mayor Yadira Ramos Herbert presented a proclamation to Lou and Sandy Monteleone, acknowledging their $400,000 contribution and stating that their gift provides a safe, joyful space for children's play, creating lasting memories and community benefit.
- Councilman Al Tarantino recounted how the donation came about: he and Lou Monteleone attended high school together (class of 1969). Monteleone initially wanted to fund a small playground, but after meeting with Parks Commissioner Parisi and Deputy Commissioner Lauren O'Connor, the vision grew. Tarantino expressed surprise at the final scope and challenged other community members to consider similar contributions.
- Lou Monteleone shared his personal history with New Rochelle, moving there in 1963 and appreciating its friendliness and diversity. He described efforts to donate to New York City parks that were rejected, then redirected to New Rochelle through Councilman Tarantino. After multiple meetings with the parks department, the plan expanded to include a zip line at Lauren O'Connor's suggestion. Monteleone urged others to give back in any form, whether money, time, or mentorship.
Key Outcomes
- The Monteleone family's $400,000 donation was formally recognized and celebrated, resulting in the renovated Dino Frio Park playground, including a zip line. The park is named in honor of Ileana (a family member). No formal votes or decisions were made; the event was a ceremonial dedication.
Meeting Transcript
Alright, welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the new and improved Dino Frio Park. My name is Vin Parisi. I'm your parks commissioner. I promise I will keep this thing moving because we have a lot of fun. But this is a historic day in the Nurshell Parks Department. So give yourself a round of applause. They're all here together on this beautiful weather day. I just want to thank all of the support across the board in terms of the city administration. Buildings Commissioner Paul Vac is here. Fire Commissioner, our fire chief Joe Sinatra is here, our great crew from DPW Public Works. I saw uh Brian Bracey before my man Domingo, so I'm gonna name the pavilion after him, the Domingos Pavilion who helped us redo that bad boy in the spring. Our police department, thank you for the support today. Kelly Johnson, executive director with our youth bureau, our head of recreation, Nina Sean Gainer is in the house. Most importantly, before we get going to uh the main show, how about a round of applause for our crew from Jefferson Elementary School Summer Daycamp for tracking down and being with us here today? But most importantly, I want to thank my crew uh with Parks and Recreation, Brian O'Rourke, Park Supervisor, and the guys make this place look beautiful each and every day, and they will continue here. And then Deputy Commissioner Lauren O'Connor, Secretary Diana Deleo, and our great crew admin in the office making today's ceremony uh possible. Thank you very much. Also like to give a shout out to DJ Cole Parisi, who might be related to the parks commissioner. Uh, but on a serious note, this is, and I don't mean to sound dramatic, I don't mean to sound corny and emotional, but this is a historic day in our department. It is not every day in this day and age in local government with all the budgetary challenges that we have. We're about to hit budget season right now at City Hall. It's not every day that somebody reaches out on their own and says, Hey, I want to do this, I love this. This would be an amazing vision. I want to do this from our family to your city, and then they write the check for that amount. And it just does not happen every single day. And that what's that's what makes it so special in terms of the Monte Leone Montalione family and then all of their friends and family that are here today. So to kick this thing off right, um, we have a special little presentation uh for Lou uh and his family. So without further ado, please welcome the mayor of NuroShow, Yadira Ramos Herbert. Say cold lights. So just to echo the commissioner's thanks, just I mean, what you've given this city is decades of like there's no sound better for me than children playing and laughing and having fun. And then as a parent, when you know you can bring your kids to a safe place that they can have fun, that you can kind of just drop your shoulders a little, especially with all the phones and the digital, that they can just be kids in a place. So that the fact that what you have given is a gift that will like exponentially have rewards, in joy, in happiness, in memories, the pictures. I mean, you have given a gift for which there is almost no value. And so, on behalf of your friends and neighbors, the residents of the city of Nureśhell, thank you so much for that vision and that generosity and tenacity to bring this phenomenal park to our city. So I personally want to extend it a set of scratch to you. Thanks to you. I won't read the whole thing, but essentially, we want on behalf of the city. I wanted to present you with a proclamation, whereas Lou and Sandy Monte Leone General demonstrate the profound impact that individuals can have when they choose to get back to the community they love, and their contribution will leave a lacking legacy in the city of Nurchelle, and whereas a commitment to the well-being of Nourishell's children and families exemplifies the very best of community spirit of civic pride and philanthropy. Therefore, be it resolved that I, here Ramos Herbert, mayor of the City of Nurem, we hereby honor and recognize Lou and Sandy Montreleon for their extraordinary generosity, community spirit, 400,000 contribution to the City of Nurshell, and express our sincere gratitude for your lasting investment in our children, our families, and the future of our community. Thank you so much. You guys want to post it for a photo? It's like the council. I mean, you want in? Yeah, no, thank you very much. Great. Thank you very much, Mayor. Moving right along, some guests that have also joined us. I want to thank our uh director of information technology, Bobby Bongiorney for being in the house. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Captain Sal, our harbormaster here. He actually he actually touched the testing test.
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