Local Pizzerias Unite to Support Farmingdale Families After Tragic Bus Crash

Anthony Laurino, owner of Phil’s Pizzeria in Syosset, dropped his son Francesco Laurino off at Farmingdale High School on Sept. 21 for a trip to a band camp in Pennsylvania.

While his son was not on the bus that crashed later that day — an accident that resulted in the deaths of 43-year-old Farmingdale High School band director Gina Pellettiere and 77-year-old retired social studies teacher Beatrice Ferarri — Laurino remains deeply affected by the tragedy as a member of the Farmingdale community.

An Idea Born From Community Grief

Feeling compelled to help, Laurino believed there had to be something he could do to support the families impacted by the tragedy. He joined forces with Alyssa Guidice of LI Dine and Jim Serpico, owner of Side Hustle Bread, to create a fundraiser aimed at helping those affected.

Three North Shore pizzerias — Vito’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in Glen Cove, Tre Sorelle Ristorante in Sea Cliff, and Mama Mia’s Pizzeria in Oyster Bay — quickly joined the effort to show their support.

Vito Marchese, owner of Vito’s, said his restaurant has participated in similar charity events in the past. During the coronavirus pandemic, Vito’s donated pizzas to employees at Glen Cove Hospital and wrote uplifting messages on the boxes to boost morale.

“The community was really affected by it, and we felt bad for the families that were involved in the accident,” Marchese said. “We try to help everybody — that’s why we’re here.”

From One Night to a Countywide Movement

Originally planned as a one-night-only fundraiser scheduled for Oct. 25, the event quickly grew as word spread. More restaurants expressed interest in participating, prompting Laurino, Guidice, and Serpico to expand their goal to include 20 pizzerias.

By the end of October, more than 140 pizzerias across Nassau and Suffolk counties had joined the fundraiser. To accommodate the growing participation, the event expanded into a three-day effort running from Oct. 25 through Oct. 27.

For every pie purchased at a participating pizzeria or restaurant during the fundraiser, $5 of the proceeds were designated to be distributed to families affected by the tragedy.

Why Restaurants Stepped Up

Lia Jorquera, one of the co-owners of Tre Sorelle, said she and her two sisters learned about the fundraiser through Facebook and immediately knew they wanted to help.

The sisters, who have owned and operated Tre Sorelle for the past 11 years, felt the cause was deeply personal and close to home.

“It was pretty much a no-brainer,” Jorquera said. “You feel for the families, you feel for what happened, and it’s so close to home, so we wanted to do anything we could to help.”

Where the Funds Will Go

According to Guidice, the funds raised will be distributed across four main areas. The majority will go to those who were critically injured, with additional portions allocated to non-critically injured individuals, the marching band, and the families of Pellettiere and Ferarri.

Some band members lost their instruments in the crash. Guidice said the fundraiser also aims to help replace damaged equipment — a need brought to her attention by the mother of one of the students who was on the bus.

Though the student was not critically injured, his instrument was damaged during the accident.

Ensuring Transparency and Support

Guidice, Laurino, and Serpico worked closely with Farmingdale High School to ensure the funds were distributed properly and through the appropriate channels.

“We wanted to make sure they were happy with how, and who, we were giving the money to,” Serpico said.

The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $100,000. Donation totals will take several weeks to finalize as organizers collect checks made out to the Farmingdale School District.

The response from residents across Long Island has been overwhelmingly supportive. Once collected, donations will be delivered with a letter outlining exactly how every dollar will be distributed.

“I think it was a win-win for most of the pizzerias,” Serpico said.