Marshal’s Message

I would like to thank the PDPC for honoring me this year. It is a great privilege and honor to be recognized as the 2007 Staten Island Marshal and lead the Staten Island contingent in this year’s 70th Annual Pulaski Day Parade.

I am very proud of my heritage and thankful that my grandparents came to the United States in the early 1900’s for a better life of freedom. When they arrived here they did bring with them their culture and traditions and were ready to pass it on to future generations with great pride. They instilled in their family great values and ideals to help their fellowman and not just Polonia. By honoring me today, this is reinforcing my grandparents’ foundation of good morals and hard work is recognized through my actions toward my fellowman and community. So they deserve big thanks from me for teaching this and sharing the great gift of giving back to others who are less fortunate in life, not just monetarily, but by way of dedicating time, giving great effort and doing it with love!

I would like to share with you some words by President Theodore Roosevelt entitled “

The Man Who Counts

” –

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who pointed out how the strong man tumbled, or where the doer of deed could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again’ who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.